‘Worth a thousand words’: Stephen Colbert calls this Trump photo ‘scary’ — And it’s hard to disagree

New York, NY – On Thursday, The Late Show host Stephen Colbert skewered President Donald Trump for his motionless reaction when a guest collapsed during a White House announcement on lowering weight-loss drug costs, joking the room was “full of exactly who you want in a medical emergency: pharmaceutical executives.”

The viral moment, captured in photos and video, showed aides and CEOs rushing to help while Trump stood frozen, prompting Colbert to quip the image was “worth a thousand words—none of which I can say on CBS.”

The Viral Oval Office Incident

During the Thursday East Room event unveiling a 15% price cut for GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy—negotiated with Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk—a male guest in the front row suddenly fainted, per White House pool footage.

Attendees, including CEOs Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen (Novo Nordisk) and David Ricks (Eli Lilly), immediately knelt to assist, administering water and fanning the man, who regained consciousness within 90 seconds and was escorted out, per press secretary Karoline Leavitt.

The guest, identified as a mid-level HHS official, is “doing well” and was treated for dehydration.

Trump, standing at the podium, did not move or speak during the 42-second disruption, continuing his remarks on “making America thin again” once the man was removed.

Colbert played the clip: “I’m sure that was scary. But thankfully, the room was full of exactly who you want in a medical emergency: pharmaceutical executives. Quick! Someone maximize shareholder value!”

He praised the rapid response—“Well, almost everybody”—before showing the freeze-frame photo of Trump staring blankly as others helped.

“That picture is worth a thousand words,” Colbert said. “None of which I can say on CBS.” The image, shared 2.1 million times on X within 12 hours, became a meme with captions like “When leadership means standing still.”

The gaffe fuels perceptions of detachment amid the 38-day government shutdown. Trump’s Wednesday Fox News claim that “prices are way down” clashed with BLS data showing prescription drug costs up 4.2% year-over-year.

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The viral photo risks amplifying Trump’s 56% disapproval rating. His November 12, “Affordability Town Hall” in Pennsylvania aims to counter cost-of-living criticism. As drug price negotiations continue—targeting insulin next—the incident could erode trust in Trump’s healthcare agenda.