Forbes Breaking News
Forbes Breaking NewsJan 1
Politics

LIVE: President Trump Holds Public Event After Calling Off Planned Attack On Iran

110 min video5 key momentsWatch original
TL;DR

Trump announces Trump RX expansion adding 600 generic drugs, pauses Iran military strike pending diplomatic talks.

Key Insights

1

10 million visits, $400M savedTrump rx.gov has already been visited over 10 million times since February and saved American consumers $400 million through negotiated drug price reductions of 400-700%.

2

$500B in savings projectedThe most favored nation drug pricing approach will save Americans over $500 billion over the next decade according to the Council of Economic Advisors.

3

600+ generic drugs addedTrump rx.gov is expanding from dozens of medications to over 600 affordable generic drugs, making it the single source for lowest prescription prices in America.

4

GLP-1: $1,800/year savingsA family using GLP-1 weight loss drugs will save approximately $1,800 per year compared to four months ago; families needing fertility medications save nearly $6,000 per live birth.

5

Map-based price comparisonThe website allows consumers to compare pharmacy prices on a map just like comparing hotels or flights, with some locations showing $18 versus $842 for the same medication.

6

Ebola case, Germany treatmentAn American symptomatic with Bundibugyo virus, a strain of Ebola, plus six other high-risk contacts are being transported to Germany for treatment as the CDC and interagency response coordinate entry restrictions.

7

Iran attack delayed for talksTrump delayed a planned major military attack on Iran after Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and UAE requested a 2-3 day pause, citing progress toward a nuclear deal negotiation.

Deep Dive

Trump rx.gov Expands Drug Catalog Sevenfold

Trump opened by announcing the expansion of Trump rx.gov, the prescription drug discount website launched in February. The platform has already been visited more than 10 million times and saved consumers $400 million through negotiated deals with pharmaceutical companies. Today's announcement adds over 600 affordable generic medications to the site, increasing the total catalog nearly sevenfold. Trump emphasized this represents an unprecedented shift in American healthcare—moving from the highest drug prices globally to the lowest through most-favored-nation agreements. He credited Dr. Oz, RFK Jr., Mark Cuban, and Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia, who designed the website interface. The Council of Economic Advisors projects $500 billion in savings over the next decade from these policies alone.

How the Website Works and What It Offers

Joe Gebbia demonstrated the Trump rx.gov platform live, showing its user-friendly interface that allows Americans to search medications and instantly compare prices across local and chain pharmacies on a map. Users can view brand-name drugs alongside their generic equivalents—for example, glucagon at $842 versus generic metformin at $18 with identical active ingredients. The site features a Presidential Deals section highlighting brand-name medications with 61-77% discounts: Ozempic at 77% off, insulin at 72% off, Trulicity at 61% off. New tools enable consumers to either find their nearest pharmacy or arrange home delivery through partnered services. Gebbia emphasized the transparency: Americans can now compare prescription costs as easily as hotels or airline tickets, a concept previously unavailable in U.S. healthcare.

Cabinet Officials Tout Healthcare Breakthroughs

RFK Jr. stated that chronic disease now consumes 48 cents of every federal tax dollar, with 90% aimed at treating conditions that are increasing at 2% faster than GDP growth. He credited Trump with accomplishing what four previous presidents promised but failed to deliver—making American medications the most affordable in the world. Dr. Oz emphasized that one in three Americans cannot afford their prescribed medications and praised the transparency Trump rx.gov provides physicians who previously had no idea what patients paid out-of-pocket. Mark Cuban detailed his Cost Plus Drugs partnership, explaining that the company marks up medications only 15% and that volume increases from Trump rx.gov will drive costs down further over time. Chris Clump announced that an American family using GLP-1 weight loss drugs will save $1,800 annually, while couples seeking fertility treatments will save nearly $6,000 per live birth—totaling $5 billion in savings for hopeful parents over a decade.

Iran Military Action Postponed for Diplomatic Window

When asked about the pause on Iran, Trump revealed that he had prepared a major military attack for the following day but was asked by Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE, and others to delay it 2-3 days. He stated that these countries believe they are very close to negotiating a nuclear deal with Iran and requested time to pursue talks. Trump said he put off the strike hopefully forever but possibly temporarily to allow diplomacy to proceed. He emphasized that preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons remains non-negotiable and that the U.S. military has already severely degraded Iran's capabilities—destroying its navy and air force, and neutralizing first and second-level leadership. Trump noted that rebuilding Iran's military capacity would take 25 years, buying time for negotiations. He stressed his reluctance to launch strikes given strong economic conditions but reiterated that nuclear proliferation is the most pressing concern.

Ebola Case Identified; Interagency Response Mobilized

CDC Director Heidi Overton briefed the room on a confirmed Ebola case: an American displaying symptoms and testing positive for Bundibugyo virus, a strain of Ebola virus. The patient and six other high-risk contacts are being evacuated to Germany for treatment at an internationally recognized viral hemorrhagic fever facility, chosen for shorter flight times than other options. The administration has issued travel warnings for all Americans and instituted entry restrictions on non-U.S. citizens who have been in Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo, and South Sudan in the past 21 days. Overton stressed that no cases of Ebola currently exist in America and the government is working to keep it that way. The interagency response includes full coordination across the State Department, CDC, and Department of Defense to track developments and support affected Americans.

Election Integrity and January 6 Compensation Fund

Trump addressed concerns about mail-in ballots and the Maryland election fraud case, citing 500,000 fraudulent ballots that were sent but never recovered even after new ballots were issued. He stated the U.S. is the only country using mail-in ballots and called the system inherently corrupt by nature. Trump said he has asked law enforcement to investigate the Maryland situation strenuously and expressed concern about integrity heading into midterms. On the January 6 compensation fund—a $1.7 billion Justice Department initiative announced that day—Trump said a respected committee of four or five people will determine eligibility. He claimed the fund reimburses people who were weaponized by the government, wrongfully imprisoned, bankrupted by legal fees, and later vindicated. Trump was vague on whether January 6 Capitol attackers qualify, leaving that determination to the review committee, and declined to state whether he or his family members would seek compensation.

Takeaways

  • Visit trumprx.gov before filling any prescription to compare prices across pharmacies and generic alternatives.
  • Ask for generic medications explicitly at your pharmacy — they're identical to brand names but often 400-600% cheaper.
  • Monitor upcoming additions to Trump RX's drug catalog by signing up for their mailing list at the site.

Key moments

79:58Drug price expansion announcement

Today, I'm thrilled to announce that we're increasing the number of drugs available on Trump RX by nearly seven times, adding over 600 affordable generics to the website.

88:16RFK Jr. on chronic disease crisis

The epidemic of chronic disease in this country is now existential. 77% of American kids cannot qualify for military service.

97:51Iran military strike delayed

Other countries have come to me and they've said we were getting ready to do a very major attack tomorrow. I've put it off for a little while, hopefully maybe forever but possibly for a little while because we've had very big discussions with Iran.

103:18Trump on Iran's military decimation

We've taken a country that was going to have a nuclear weapon and we've virtually destroyed its military. They have no navy. They have no air force.

107:24Election integrity concerns

In Maryland, 500,000 fake ballots were sent out. When they were caught, they said, 'Oh, we'll pull them back.' And they issued 500,000 new ballots. And as you know, they never got the original ballots back.

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