New photos from the White House on Friday (October 10) show that Donald Trump has once again covered a large bruise with heavy makeup, reigniting fears about the US President’s health. The conclealer was spotted on the 79-year-old’s right hand during a press conference in the Oval Office during which he announced a deal with drug maker AstraZeneca to lower drug prices.
Mr Trump’s injury was first spotted weeks after the 2024 election, after spending several months slamming his presidential rival Joe Biden as being too old and too mentally foggy to occupy the Oval Office. Mr Trump became the oldest person to assume the US presidency when he retook the White House in January. Since then, he has maintained a busy schedule and a fondness for red meat. On Sunday (October 12), he plans to travel to the Middle East after brokering a Gaza ceasefire deal.
Donald Trump undergoes physical exam at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Centre
Ahead of the flight, Mr Trump underwent a “semiannual physical” examination at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Centre on Friday. The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, described it as a “routine yearly checkup”, despite the fact that the president had his annual physical in April.
“I’m meeting with the troops, and I’m also going to do a, sort of, semiannual physical, which I do,” Mr Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday. “I think I’m in great shape, but I’ll let you know.”
The White House declined to explain why Mr Trump was getting a yearly checkup at the medical centre in Bethesda, Maryland, just six months after his annual exam. However, in a memo released by the White House later on Friday, his doctor, Sean Barbabella, said he found the president to be in “exceptional health”, “exhibiting strong cardiovascular, pulmonary, neurological, and physical performance”.
The president also received preventive health screenings and immunisations, including annual flu and updated COVID-19 booster vaccinations, in preparation for his upcoming international travel.
“His cardiac age – a validated measure of cardiovascular vitality via ECG – was found to be approximately 14 years younger than his chronological age,” the memo read. However, these memos have largely failed to stem speculation about Mr Trump’s health.
The bruise first drew widespread attention in February, when he hosted French President Emmanuel Macron at the White House. Despite his attempts to conceal it, the bruising appeared again on several occasions throughout the spring and summer. It was seen in a video of the president golfing with Roger Clemens posted on social media on August 23, in which a discolouration on the back of Mr Trump’s hand was briefly visible. Two days later, bruising was pictured on his right hand during a meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung in the Oval Office.
He was also seen with noticeably swollen ankles at the FIFA Club World Cup Final in New Jersey on July 13 and again during his August 15 meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Anchorage, Alaska.
Following intense speculation, in July the White House disclosed that he was experiencing swelling in his lower legs and bruising on his right hand. Dr Barbabella said in a letter released by the White House at the time that tests confirmed the leg issue was due to “chronic venous insufficiency” (CVI), a benign and common condition, especially in people over 70. The doctor said the bruising on Mr Trump’s hand was consistent with minor soft tissue irritation from frequent hand-shaking and aspirin use, which the president takes as part of a “standard cardiovascular prevention regimen”.
The note concluded: “SUMMARY: President Trump remains in excellent health.”