President Trump accused of terminal illness after canceling housing bill signing

Representative Ted Lieu questioned President Donald Trump's sudden cancellation of a bipartisan housing bill signing, suggesting the move could be due to a "terminal illness" and the president's use of an experimental weight‑loss drug, retatrutide. Lieu cited a report that a 79‑year‑old patient received the drug under the FDA's compassionate‑use program, which is reserved for terminally ill patients, and asked whether Trump had been given the medication.

President Trump announced on Truth Social that the ceremony was postponed until the SAVE America Act could pass, framing the decision as a national emergency. The White House responded that the drug report did not involve the president and that the speculation was unfounded. White House Communications Director Steven Cheung rebuked Lieu, calling him a "dumbass" and stating there is no such drug to cure political opposition.

The drug in question is manufactured by Eli Lilly, is not FDA‑approved for public use, and is only available through compassionate use for seriously ill patients. The controversy highlights partisan tensions over the president's health and the handling of a major housing‑policy initiative.