President Donald Trump’s planned visit to Walter Reed Walter Reed National Military Medical Center today, Tuesday, May 26, is prompting further concerns over his health.
Speculation regarding Trump’s physical and mental well-being – not to mention his capacity to fulfil his duties in the highest office in the country – has been rampant of late. The POTUS is, after all, fast approaching 80 years old, and a series of large bruises on the back of his hand, coupled with an alleged, newly-developed habit of falling asleep during meetings, has given his naysayers fuel.
Add to that Trump’s many erratic social media posts and controversial decision-making, and his critics believe they have enough fodder to suggest he’s no longer suited for the unfathomable responsibilities of the presidency.
As such, when the White House recently announced that he would be undergoing a third health checkup in 13 months, people sat up and took particular notice.
No further information was forthcoming concerning what exactly will be checked when Trump goes for the medical and dental visit. Sitting US presidents reportedly usually undergo one physical exam a year, making Trump’s three in a little over that time period all the more curious.
Trump underwent a physical routine back in April 2025, and was then called back for a “scheduled follow-up” in October of the same year.
The president told reporters that he had undergone an MRI on the second occasion, though later corrected this statement in a Wall Street Journal interview, claiming he had instead undergone a CT scan of his heart and abdomen.
“In retrospect, it’s too bad I took it because it gave them a little ammunition,” Trump said at the time. “I would have been a lot better off if they didn’t, because the fact that I took it said, ‘Oh gee, is something wrong?’ Well, nothing’s wrong.”
As mentioned above, Trump’s health has been the subject of widespread conjecture and speculation after a number of visible, worrying signs. Perhaps the most obvious of these are the large bruises the president has sported on the backs of his hand, often covered up by copious amounts of makeup.
Trump’s own physician, Dr.Sean Barbabella, commented on said bruising, attributing them to ‘minor soft tissue irritation from frequent handshaking and the use of aspirin.’
Trump, meanwhile, has said that the bruises are a result of him consuming more aspirin than doctors typically recommend.
“They say aspirin is good for thinning out the blood, and I don’t want thick blood pouring through my heart,” Trump said. “I want nice, thin blood pouring through my heart. Does that make sense?”
The 79-year-old also recently remarked that he feels the same now as he did when he was in his 30s.
“I feel literally the same,” he said. “I don’t know why. It’s not because I eat the best foods.”
READ MORE
