Trump, 80, appeared to close his eyes and tilt his head while Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, Director of the National Institutes of Health, spoke
Credit: AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin
NEED TO KNOW
- President Donald Trump appeared to close his eyes during a speech at an Oval Office executive order ceremony
- The executive order aims to change childhood vaccine recommendations, including separating the MMR vaccine into three appointments
- “Today is a historic day for public health in this country,” Dr. Jay Bhattacharya said during the event
President Donald Trump appeared drowsy while attending an executive order ceremony in the Oval Office.
Trump, 80, appeared to close his eyes and tilt his head while Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), spoke during the Monday, Aug. 10, ceremony.
“Today is a historic day for public health in this country,” Bhattacharya, 58, said.
Trump signed an executive order aimed at overhauling the nation’s childhood vaccine recommendations, amid his administration’s claims that vaccines are linked to autism — directing federal health officials to pursue a different approach to how vaccines are recommended and administered to children.
The order is part of the administration’s broader effort to reshape federal health policy under Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has been vocally anti-vaccine for decades.
One of the most significant changes involves the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine. Rather than receiving the combined MMR vaccine, children would be encouraged to receive the three vaccines separately and during different medical visits. The administration says the approach is intended to emphasize parental authority and allow families greater flexibility in making vaccination decisions.
The changes have drawn sharp criticism from medical experts and public health organizations, who warn that spacing vaccines across multiple appointments could make it more difficult for children to receive timely protection against preventable diseases. Critics have also said these additional visits will make it more difficult and costly for parents and medical providers.
Credit: AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin
The executive order also calls for a distinction between vaccines recommended for all children and those intended for children considered at higher risk. Other vaccines would be subject to what the administration calls “shared clinical decision-making,” meaning parents and healthcare providers would determine whether vaccination is appropriate.
Credit: Anna Moneymaker/Getty
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The order comes as vaccination rates among U.S. children have declined in recent years and as health officials continue to contend with outbreaks of vaccine-preventable illnesses, including measles.
The administration has also continued to promote further research into vaccines and their potential effects, including claims about a connection between vaccines and autism that the scientific community has debunked.
Trump has appeared to fall asleep on camera in the past. After he appeared to shut his eyes during a cabinet meeting in December 2025, White House chief of staff Susie Wiles told Vanity Fair the president is not sleeping when he closes his eyes.
“He’s not asleep,” Wiles said. “He’s got his eyes closed and his head leaned back … and, you know, he’s fine.”
In July, White House spokesperson Davis Ingle told PEOPLE that Trump was “reflecting on the loss of his dear friend Lindsey Graham, for whom he had just delivered a beautiful eulogy” after the president appeared to fall asleep during Sen. Lindsey Gaham’s funeral.
“Anyone suggesting otherwise is a depraved moron,” Ingle said.
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