Is Trump taking Eli Lilly’s experimental new weight-loss drug Retatrutide? It’s the question everyone has been asking over the last 24 hours after a bombshell report from STAT on Tuesday revealed that a 79-year-old man made a request in April for Retatrutide and was granted early access to it through the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s “compassionate use” program. Trump, who turned 80 earlier this month, could fit that description.
The three sources who confirmed this information to the outlet also said that this man’s early access request had gotten the attention of top health officials, suggesting that he had connections.
The president, whose most recent physical exam showed weight gain, has expressed concerns over his weight before. In April, he was asked if he would ever consider wearing a bulletproof vest after three assassination attempts.
“I don’t know if I can handle looking 20 pounds heavier. If you want to gain 20 to 25 pounds, get a West vest,” he said.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, Retatrutide is a weight-loss drug that “yields substantial improvements in type 2 diabetes and obesity.”
Lizzy Lawrence, the author of the STAT article, shared it on X, writing, “Sources told STAT that application drew interest from top health officials. Given the demographics and the peculiar nature of the application, I asked the WH if this patient was President Trump, who turned 80 a week ago. I did not get a direct answer.”
Subsequently, the White House reposted the message and responded, “No, it wasn’t President Trump — and you people are truly sick and deranged.”
White House spokesman Kush Desai piggybacked onto the conversation, writing: “Because this has to be spelled out for @LizzyLaw_, who has proven herself to be an unserious gossip columnist, this application was not for the President.”
Still, Trump’s actions suggest he has an interest in the drug.
The Guardian confirmed last month that he had invested in Eli Lilly earlier this year. Additionally, the Trump administration announced in November that it had reached a deal with Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk to lower the cost of GLP-1 medications, a class of drugs used to treat diabetes and obesity.
It is unclear when and if Retatrutide will become available to the general public. Retatrutide is currently an investigational drug undergoing Phase 3 clinical trials. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved it for weight loss or any other condition.
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Kelly Corbett; syracuse.com; (TNS) || ©2026 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit syracuse.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
