President Donald Trump drew audible gasps while speaking at the Kennedy Center on Monday after apparently revealing that a GOP lawmaker had received a “terminal” diagnosis and was expected to be “dead by June.”
Sitting beside House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), Trump was discussing the Republican Party’s slim majority in the House and how the deaths of several GOP members in recent years have made it harder for Republican speakers to advance the president’s agenda.
“We had one man who was very ill, it looked like he wasn't gonna make it, I don't know, I won't mention his name,” Trump said before turning to Johnson. “Should I? Do other people know his name? You want to mention it? He'll be proud, go ahead, tell them the story.”
After being pressed to share details, Johnson revealed that Rep. Neal Dunn (R-FL) had recently dealt with “some real health challenges” that he described as “very serious.”
“[He] had a pretty grim diagnosis, and I mentioned it to the president and I said Congressman Dunn is a real champion and a patriot because he's still coming to work, and if others got this diagnosis, they would be apt to go home,” Johnson said.
“What was the diagnosis?” Trump asked.
“I think it was a terminal diagnosis,” Johnson said.
“He would be dead by June!” Trump blurted out.
A visibly taken-aback Johnson paused for a moment before responding.
“Okay, that wasn't public,” he said, sparking audible gasps in the room. “But yes, okay. It was grim, that's what I was going to say.”
Trump: "He would be dead by June."
Johnson: "Okay, that wasn't public, but okay."@SpeakerJohnson rattled after Trump reveals GOP lawmaker's terminal diagnosis pic.twitter.com/9hJfXkATuj
— Alexander Willis (@ReporterWillis) March 16, 2026