A former White House cardiologist stated that President Donald Trump “needs to be evaluated” after a video from an Oval Office event seemingly showed him nodding off while signing legislation to bring whole and 2% milk back to school meal programs.
Dr. Jonathan Reiner, who used to be the physician for former Vice President Dick Cheney, shared his thoughts on X after the clip went viral. He said, “The president seems to be struggling with excessive daytime sleepiness. Repeatedly falling asleep with a dozen people around your desk is not normal. It needs to be evaluated.”
The footage was taken during a signing ceremony for the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, which Trump signed into law on January 14. This law allows schools in the National School Lunch Program to serve whole milk and 2% milk, reversing rules that mostly limited offerings to skim and low-fat options.
In the video, Trump sat at the Resolute Desk with several people around him, including Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson. The clip from various news outlets shows Trump briefly closing his eyes and nodding while holding a pen and listening to remarks.
Reiner did not examine Trump and based his remarks on the public video and he did not suggest a specific diagnosis but said the behavior in the clip needed medical attention.
The president seems to be struggling with excessive daytime somnolence.
Repeatedly falling asleep with a dozen people surrounding your desk is not normal. It needs to be evaluated. https://t.co/jt1ati3Z39
— Jonathan Reiner (@JReinerMD) January 15, 2026
The White House has not provided any new medical info related to the video, and the Daily Beast reported that the White House continues to claim Trump is in “excellent health,” attributing his tiredness to long work hours and little sleep.
This incident led to new speculation from another physician who referenced the public footage to argue that Trump may have had a serious medical event. Professor Bruce Davidson from Washington State University’s Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine mentioned in a recent interview that he believed Trump might have suffered a stroke in 2025, citing what he viewed as changes in the president’s gait and occasional daytime sleepiness. Davidson did not examine Trump and characterized his comments as an opinion based on publicly available video.
A public video is not a reliable way to diagnose individuals, especially without access to a medical history, examination, and testing. Reiner’s post focused on the need for evaluation instead of providing a specific diagnosis, concentrating on the behavior seen in the clip.
The White House has long aimed to keep Trump’s health from becoming a major political topic, portraying him as energetic and capable while he maintains a public schedule that often includes long days and frequent appearances. Trump has used public comments about his health to display strength, while critics and some commentators have pointed to signs of fatigue in recent months.
The viral video appeared on the same day Trump signed the school milk bill, an event the administration promoted as part of its effort to change federal nutrition policy. This law impacts school meal programs serving millions of children nationwide.
Much like former President Joe Biden, health has been a focal point of Trump’s second term as many point to what they believe is a less-energized version of the president from years ago. Whether Trump’s health is normal or of concern for a man his age is yet to be determined as the White House remains cryptic in its revelations.
