US2 min(s) read
Published 10:33 08 Jun 2026 GMT
Donald Trump has sparked a debate after claiming the United States has access to a drug capable of bringing people back from the dead.
The comments came during a White House press conference. Trump also appeared to be discussing the Right to Try Act, legislation introduced during his first term that allows certain terminally ill patients to access experimental treatments before they receive full regulatory approval.
The law was designed to give people facing life-threatening illnesses the opportunity to try promising medications when conventional treatment options have been unsuccessful.
However, Trump took the discussion a step further by suggesting some patients had experienced what sounded like miraculous recoveries.
Speaking at the event, the president said, "We've taken people that were dead. We had a person given the last rites — gone, the kids are crying and everything, and started them on this drug. And the person became better. It works."
The extraordinary claim quickly attracted attention online, with many questioning both the drug Trump was referring to and whether he genuinely meant a patient had died before being revived.
Trump did not identify the medication in question, nor did he provide medical evidence, clinical trial data, or further details about the case he described. Instead, his comments appeared to reference the broader use of experimental treatments for seriously ill patients.
People have suggested the president may have been describing someone who was gravely ill and close to death rather than a person who had been medically declared dead.
Medical experts have pointed out that recovering from a life-threatening condition is vastly different from being brought back to life after death has been officially confirmed.
Healthcare professionals have also challenged the suggestion that any existing drug can reverse death itself, stressing that dramatic recoveries, while possible in some cases, are not the same as resurrecting a deceased patient.
The comments have reignited discussion around the Right to Try Act, which has remained controversial since its introduction. Supporters argue the legislation offers hope and additional options for patients with terminal illnesses, while critics warn it can expose vulnerable people to treatments that are neither safe nor effective.
Despite the criticism, Trump has consistently highlighted the Right to Try Act as one of the signature healthcare achievements of his presidency.
The latest comments have once again placed the policy under the spotlight, with many observers seeking clarification about the treatment Trump referenced and the circumstances behind the case he described.
