President Donald Trump turned a serious policy event into a lighter moment after joking about catching COVID-19 during an Oval Office press conference, drawing laughter from aides and reporters.
A Light Moment in the Oval Office
On 30 September 2025, President Trump convened a White House briefing to showcase his new deal with Pfizer to lower US drug prices through the TrumpRx platform. The event, held in the Oval Office with cameras rolling, gathered Trump, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Pfizer's chief executive, and several senior advisers.
Midway through the remarks, Kennedy sneezed, prompting Trump to pause, grin, and say: 'I hope I didn't just catch COVID give me Paxlovid immediately.' The unscripted line sparked laughter in the room, briefly breaking the formality of an announcement that otherwise focused on prescription drug costs.
🚨 Funniest. President. EVER.
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) September 30, 2025
SEC. BOBBY KENNEDY: *Sneezes*
TRUMP: "God bless you, Bobby. I hope I didn't just catch COVID just there...GIVE ME A PAXLOVID, IMMEDIATELY!"
Oval Office crowd: *Cracking up* 😂pic.twitter.com/VAQDQqmCNa
A Light Moment in the Oval Office
The moment recalled Trump's long and often controversial relationship with COVID-19. He was diagnosed in October 2020 and treated with experimental therapies at Walter Reed hospital during his first presidency, an episode that drew global attention.
Throughout that crisis, Trump frequently made light of the pandemic, sometimes using humour to downplay risks. Critics often accused him of being flippant, pointing to his comments about possible disinfectant treatments in 2020 remarks he later said were sarcastic. Supporters argued his humour served to reassure Americans in tense times.
By invoking Paxlovid, an antiviral medication authorised in late 2021 and widely used during the pandemic, Trump tied his quip to a drug still symbolic of the national COVID response.
The Pfizer Drug-Price Deal on Display
Trump's joke came at a serious policy moment. Just before the exchange, he announced that Pfizer had agreed to lower prices on several widely used medicines and participate in a new government platform, TrumpRx. The programme is designed to sell drugs directly to consumers and through Medicaid at reduced cost, bypassing some middlemen.
Pfizer also pledged to invest billions into US manufacturing and research as part of the agreement. The deal follows months of pressure from Trump, who in July 2025 sent letters to pharmaceutical companies demanding steep price cuts.
Laughter, Headlines, and Political Spin
Clips of the sneeze-and-quip circulated quickly online. Supporters highlighted the exchange as a trademark Trump moment unscripted, humorous, and relatable while critics suggested it trivialised a pandemic that killed more than a million Americans.
News outlets including People confirmed the exchange, quoting Trump's line and noting the laughter it drew in the Oval Office. The coverage framed the moment as emblematic of Trump's ability to blend political messaging with showmanship.
Democrats, meanwhile, used the incident to revisit past criticisms of Trump's pandemic response. Republican allies downplayed the remark, emphasising that the focus should remain on the drug pricing deal.
Why the Quip Still Matters
While fleeting, the episode illustrates how Trump continues to use humour as a political tool. By invoking COVID at a health policy briefing, he reminded audiences of his pandemic-era leadership while shifting attention to his latest pharmaceutical deal.
The juxtaposition highlights Trump's dual strategy: leveraging tough negotiations with major corporations like Pfizer while maintaining a persona that mixes policy with punchlines. For a White House seeking to project strength on healthcare affordability, the laughter underscored how even a light moment can dominate headlines.
