Who Fainted in the Oval Office? Inside the Shocking Moment at the White House
While in the Oval Office, a man was captured on video fainting and being assisted and brought to his feet.
Published Nov. 16 2025, 11:00 a.m. ET
There is tons of drama with the Trump administration and inside the walls of the (currently being remodeled) White House — but things took a shocking turn when someone fainted during a recent announcement involving weight-loss drugs.
While in the Oval Office, a man was captured on video fainting and being assisted and brought to his feet by those who surrounded him. Let’s find out what happened and who the man is.
Who fainted in the Oval Office?
On Thursday, Nov. 6, a pharmaceutical executive fainted inside the Oval Office just as the Trump administration announced a new deal to make weight-loss drugs more affordable for Americans, according to The Independent.
The man was standing directly behind Donald Trump during the announcement when his legs appeared to give out from underneath him, causing him to fall to the ground.
Reporters who were inside the Oval Office during the incident said Dr. Mehmet Oz, who is the current Administrator for Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, stopped the man from hitting his head as he fell on the ground. Trump Cabinet members also helped by elevating the man’s legs.
Press secretary Karolin Leavitt issued a statement following the medical incident and confirmed the fainting.
“During the Most Favored Nations Oval Office Announcement, a representative with one of the companies fainted. The White House Medical Unit quickly jumped into action, and the gentleman is OK. The Press Conference will resume shortly,” she said, per the outlet.
Who is Gordon Finlay?
The man was initially identified as Novo Nordisk executive Gordon Finlay; however, there have been conflicting reports about whether he was the person who actually fainted, as the company’s CEO said that Gordon was not present at the Oval Office at the time.
"We hope the gentleman who suffered a medical incident today is okay." CEO Mike Doustdar reportedly said, per X, formerly known as Twitter.
The Trump administration announced a significant reduction in popular weight-loss drugs.
In a deal with Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, the Trump administration is planning to lower the cost of weight-loss drugs for Medicare, Medicaid, and patients who pay for them out of pocket, according to the New York Times.
The deal would save patients money on popular weight-loss drugs Wegovy and Zepbound, also two forthcoming obesity pills set to win regulatory approval within the next few months.
The new lowest price will be $150 a month, and available only for the lowest doses of the pill form, per the outlet. Once the currently unnamed pills officially hit the market, Medicare, Medicaid, and those paying for them themselves from manufacturers will pay the same price.
According to Trump officials, in the coming months, users can pay out of pocket for injectables Wegovy and Zepbound, which currently average around $350 monthly. That average price is said to be expected to drop to $245 over the next 24 months.
Weight-loss drugs have seen a significant increase in popularity throughout the last few years, as both celebrities and non-celebs have touted their results.