President Trump has often mused publicly about friends and staff who take what he calls “the fat drug.” But the president has never addressed whether he himself had taken one of the popular obesity drugs.
On Wednesday, during an interview with The New York Times, Mr. Trump said he had never taken GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy and Ozempic. “No, I have not,” he said when asked directly. “I probably should.”
Back in 2020, during his first term in office, Mr. Trump tipped the scales at 244 pounds, a weight formally deemed obese for his 6-foot-3 frame. At the president’s last physical, in April 2025, his doctor reported that he weighed 224 pounds, putting his Body Mass Index in the overweight category, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calculator.
The Trump administration has taken steps to lower the costs of popular drugs, announcing in November a deal that could reduce the price of some of them to as little as $149 a month.
During an event touting the deal in the Oval Office, Mr. Trump quizzed his aides about whether they had taken the drugs.
“Secretary Howard Lutnick, you take any of this stuff, Howard?” the president asked.
“Not yet,” Mr. Lutnick responded.
“OK, good” Mr. Trump said. “So, CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz, he doesn’t take it.”
Mr. Trump turned and looked for Steven Cheung, the White House communications director.
“And we have Steve,” he said. “Where’s Steve? Is he here? Head of public relations for the White House. He’s taking it.”
Mr. Cheung did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.
Tyler Pager is a White House correspondent for The Times, covering President Trump and his administration.
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