President Donald Trump appeared to slur words and briefly close his eyes during a White House tech roundtable on Wednesday, drawing fresh attention to his health as the U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran entered their fifth day. The event was meant to spotlight a new pledge from major technology companies to shield Americans from rising electricity costs tied to data centers. Instead, much of the focus shifted to the president’s delivery.
The meeting brought top executives into the East Room, reported Irish Star. Among them were Ruth Porat of Google, Brad Smith of Microsoft, Matt Garman of Amazon Web Services, Clay Magouyrk of Oracle, Brad Lightcap of OpenAI, and Gwynne Shotwell of SpaceX.
They signed a voluntary pledge backed by the White House. The commitment requires companies to build, bring, or buy new power generation and to cover grid upgrade costs linked to their data centers. The administration says the goal is simple — prevent higher electricity bills for households as artificial intelligence drives up energy demand.
Data centers already account for roughly 4 percent of U.S. electricity use, according to federal energy estimates. That share is projected to climb this decade as AI systems expand. Utilities in several states have warned of strain. Power prices have ticked up in some regions.
Trump’s face is drooping and his eyes are closed pic.twitter.com/TygOiiHnOb
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 4, 2026
Trump spoke for several minutes before the signing. At times, his speech sounded thick. He stumbled over the phrase “electric bills.” When introducing an Oracle executive, he paused mid-name and asked if he had pronounced it correctly. There was scattered laughter in the room.
Video clips circulated online within minutes. One showed the president with his head tilted downward and eyes closed for several seconds while others spoke. Another captured a stretch where his words ran together.
The White House did not issue a statement about his demeanor during the event. No medical update was provided Wednesday.
🚨 Iran just closed the Strait of Hormuz to everyone except China.
Let that sink in.
The waterway that carries 20% of the world’s oil supply — gone. Controlled by Iran. Reserved for China.
Remember what we said about the petrodollar?
This is it. This is the moment.
Gulf… pic.twitter.com/YW3EPihQUM
— Brian Allen (@allenanalysis) March 4, 2026
The setting was formal. The backdrop, tense. U.S. and Israeli forces have been striking targets in Iran since February 28, according to Pentagon briefings. Hundreds have been reported killed since the escalation began. At a separate briefing, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the U.S. could sustain operations “for as long as we need to” and claimed Iran’s missile capacity had been reduced.
Trump briefly addressed the strikes during the roundtable. He defended the decision to initiate them and said the U.S. was acting in coordination with Israel. He did not take extended questions on Iran.
The tech pledge itself is part of a broader push by the administration to manage the energy footprint of artificial intelligence. AI models require vast computing power. That means more servers, more cooling, and more electricity. Companies have been racing to secure power contracts across the country.
Some utilities have proposed passing infrastructure costs on to ratepayers. The White House says this agreement is designed to prevent that shift. The companies also agreed to invest in workforce training in the communities where they build new facilities.
The ceremony lasted less than an hour. When it ended, executives were gunning for photos. Trump remained at the podium for a moment, then stepped away. No further public events were added to his schedule that afternoon.
