CNN Medical Analyst: Trump’s Latest Public Struggle Should Lead To ‘Formal’ Testing

April 24, 2026

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CNN Medical Analyst: Trump’s Latest Public Struggle Should Lead To ‘Formal’ Testing


President Donald Trump once again appeared to struggle to keep alert during an Oval Office event on Thursday, and at least one medical analyst says he should be tested.

During a meeting with pharmaceutical executives to announce a deal on drug pricing, Trump started to look a little sleepy:

CNN medical analyst Jonathan Reiner, who previously served as cardiologist to Vice President Dick Cheney, shared the video on X with his own recommendation for the president.

“When a patient tells me that they can’t stay awake in meetings, we do formal sleep testing to look for sleep apnea,” Reiner wrote on X. “I’m sure the White House medical team has done this, but the president continues to struggle with daytime somnolence.”

Indeed, Trump has been frequently seen closing his eyes and appearing to doze during public events when others are speaking, and even reportedly nodded off in court during his 2024 criminal trial in New York.

But Reiner said it doesn’t have to be that way.

“This is a common problem,” he wrote. “And there are things that can be done to improve these symptoms.”

The White House has said Trump ― who ironically mocked predecessor Joe Biden as “Sleepy Joe” ― is not sleeping in these moments.

President Donald Trump closes his eyes in the Oval Office at the White House, Thursday, April 23, 2026.
President Donald Trump closes his eyes in the Oval Office at the White House, Thursday, April 23, 2026.

AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein

“He’s not asleep. He’s got his eyes closed and his head leaned back,” Chief of Staff Susie Wiles told Vanity Fair in December. “And, you know, he’s fine.”

However, he does have a number of other medical issues that have been acknowledged. He has chronic venous insufficiency, which involves poor blood flow from the legs back to the heart and leads to swollen “cankles,” and bruises on his hand that the White House has said are from aspirin use and shaking hands.

Other critics have suggested Trump has additional health issues that the White House hasn’t acknowledged. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) earlier this month called on White House physician Sean Barbabella to conduct a “comprehensive cognitive assessment” and provide a briefing to Congress.



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