President Donald Trump was visibly moved by a 'miracle' drug that restored hearing for a two-year-old boy during an Oval Office event, before the toddler stole the show with his playful antics. Travis Smith, 2, cooed and laughed in his mother Sierra's arms as the administration highlighted efforts to lower prescription drug costs.
Born completely deaf, Travis was given access to a drug from Regeneron, which subsequently helped restore his hearing. The company was invited to the White House after striking a deal with the administration to reduce costs for American markets. 'That's really incredible,' Trump remarked. 'He was 100 percent deaf, but he took this miracle cure, and now he can hear his mom, Sierra, say, "I love you,"' the President celebrated.
Sierra Smith later noted how her child's use of the drug, combined with surgery, gave him the ability to enjoy music. 'He can listen to music, and he loves it, he loves to dance, and he loves instruments,' she said. Soon after, the young boy stole the show when he began to dance in the Oval Office, then crawled on the floor and briefly lay facedown on the carpet before an adult picked him up.
The event centered on the administration's efforts to lower healthcare costs and rising premiums. The deal with Regeneron involves lowering prices for certain drugs in exchange for tariff relief. Trump took a Regeneron COVID treatment in 2020 and called it a 'cure,' despite widespread contestation. Leonard Schleifer, the co-founder of the company, has been noted as a golf buddy of the President.
During the lengthy, hour-and-a-half event, Trump also provided updates on the Iran war and beautification projects in Washington, D.C. He vowed not to use a nuclear weapon against Iran and noted infighting among Iranian leadership. 'They have all new leadership, and they're fighting like cats and dogs for who's going to control and because we've created a real mess for them,' he said. That infighting has complicated negotiations to end the conflict. White House officials have repeatedly stated they are waiting for a 'unified' response from Iran before the next round of talks.
Vice President JD Vance had planned to meet with Iranian officials in Islamabad, Pakistan, this week but cancelled his trip, according to the Associated Press. When pressed on when the war might end, Trump did not provide a specific timeline. He noted that the U.S. blockade on Iran is causing Iranian oil depots to fill up, and if they cannot offload supplies, the country's oil infrastructure could suffer permanent damage. 'I don't want to rush myself,' Trump responded. 'You know who's under time pressure? They are. Because if they don't get their oil moving, their whole oil infrastructure is going to explode.'
Trump also touted his D.C. beautification efforts, including the remodel of the Lincoln Memorial's Reflecting Pool. He said the project will keep the typically murky body of water clear using robots. 'It'll stay clean. We even have robots that go in it... they clean it like a swimming pool,' he said. 'You can have a beautiful pool, and you'll have it for July 4th, long before July 4th, instead of taking three, three and a half years, we're taking a week.' He added that the floor of the pool will now be 'American flag blue.'
Additionally, the President revealed that the West Wing's colonnade walkway, currently being refurbished, will feature granite floors sourced from Africa and carved in Italy. A ramp installed for Franklin D. Roosevelt, who was unable to walk due to polio, will be preserved in his honor. 'It means something,' Trump said of the ramp.
