'Fatter than ever': Why did Trump mock a wealthy friend to make a point about US drug prices?

Trump highlights US drug price disparities

US President Donald Trump on Friday used a personal anecdote to underline his criticism of high prescription drug prices in the United States, mocking a wealthy acquaintance while discussing healthcare funding for rural America.

Speaking at an event focused on rural healthcare, Trump digressed into a story about what he described as a “very rich” and “very powerful” friend whose weight-loss treatment, he said, had failed.

“A friend of mine, very smart, very rich, very powerful, but he’s very fat,” Trump told the audience. “He took the fat drug. I won’t say which one. It was Ozempic.”

Trump said the friend, who travels frequently for work, had complained about the sharp difference in the cost of the same medication abroad.

“He goes to London all the time,” Trump said. “He told me, ‘In New York, I pay $1,300 for this drug. In London, I paid only $87.’”

He added that the drug was identical in both countries and produced by the same company, using the comparison to argue that Americans are routinely overcharged for prescription medicines.

Trump also recounted a direct exchange with the friend about the treatment’s effectiveness.

“I told him the drug does not work on you,” Trump said. “I saw him recently — he’s actually fatter than ever. I said, you need to try something else. But it does work for many people.”

According to Trump, the friend took the remarks in stride. “He said, ‘Thanks, you make me feel good,’” Trump recalled.

The comments came as Trump renewed pressure on lawmakers to expand healthcare access in rural communities and to take steps aimed at lowering drug prices nationwide.