Former White House doctors are raising concerns over what they describe as a lack of transparency regarding President Donald Trump’s health.
Trump assumed office in January 2025, becoming the oldest person ever inaugurated as president of the United States at age 78.
Recent public appearances have fueled speculation about the president’s health. People have pointed to the growing number of bruises and red marks on his skin, including on his neck and hands, as signs that he may be battling an undisclosed illness.
Highlights
- Former White House doctors are raising concerns about the health of US President Donald Trump.
- Jeffrey Kuhlman, a former physician to Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, called for Trump to undergo cognitive assessments.
- Jonathan Reiner, a former White House cardiologist, suggested that the White House was not being transparent about Trump’s health.
Image credits: Getty/Anna Moneymaker
Trump’s swollen ankles and occasional sleepiness have also caused concern, despite the president stating that he is in “excellent health.”
According to a Washington Post report, this Tuesday (May 26) will mark the president’s third hospital visit in 13 months.
Trump is reportedly scheduled to visit Walter Reed Medical Center for a medical and dental checkup.
In April 2025, he underwent his annual physical exam and saw doctors again in October for what officials described as a “scheduled follow-up.”
During his second hospital visit, Trump received a CT scan as part of his assessment. His doctor, Sean Barbabella, said the scan was performed as a preventive measure to “definitely rule out any cardiovascular issues.”
Trump was diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) last year
Image credits: Getty/Andrew Harnik
The White House announced last July that the 79-year-old had been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency (CVI), a common condition that can cause swelling in the legs and ankles.
The condition, which occurs when veins in the legs can’t properly carry blood back to the heart, is highly prevalent, especially among older adults. Other risk factors include obesity, a sedentary lifestyle, and a history of blood clots.
CVI usually isn’t life-threatening, the Cleveland Clinic notes. It is treated with compression stockings, exercise, and elevating the legs.
Trump further said his bruised hands were not a sign of a serious condition. Instead, he stated they were the result of his daily aspirin dose, which can cause bruising or bleeding, especially in older people and those taking higher doses.
Amid Trump’s public appearances showing his bruised and swollen body, the American public has been questioning whether the president is fit to remain in office.
A new poll revealed that Americans’ confidence in Trump’s fitness for office has dropped
A Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll conducted last month found that 44% of Americans believed he was fit to perform the duties of commander in chief, a 10% drop from the responses reported last September.
Moreover, 40% of Americans believe Trump has the mental sharpness to serve as president, a 7% drop from September.
Image credits: Getty/Chip Somodevilla
Jonathan Reiner, the former cardiologist for Vice President Dick Cheney, accused the White House of failing to disclose critical information about the president’s health.
“This White House just doesn't seem to want to acknowledge any physical ailment, but older people develop medical issues, and the President is almost 80 years old,” Reiner told The Washington Post.
“There just seems to be a lack of candor from the White House.”
Jeffrey Kuhlman, a former White House physician, said Trump should undergo cognitive testing due to his age
Jeffrey Kuhlman, a former physician to presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama, said it’s not uncommon for the White House to withhold information pertaining to the health of those who govern the country.
“After a decade of delusion, deceit, denial or delay from the administrations and White House physicians regarding presidential evaluations, my expectation bar is pretty low,” Kuhlman shared.
He added, “I hope they are at least transparent and truthful.”
Image credits: Getty/Roberto Schmidt
Kuhlman called for Trump to have his cognitive abilities assessed, noting that “80-year-olds do have a decline in memory, reasoning, speed of processing, and spatial visualization.”
Presidents are not required to disclose their annual health records. Some Democratic and Republican lawmakers have called for the creation of an independent commission to assess the president’s health.
In addition to stating that he is in great physical health, Trump has bragged about receiving strong cognitive scores.
“I don’t mind being called a brilliant, total tyrant dict*tor, but I don’t want to be called dumb,” he said at a rally this month, adding that “all presidents and vice-presidential candidates should be forced to take a cognitive test and a test on intelligence.”
The president has also cited past diagnoses from his physicians, including Rep. Ronny Jackson, who served as a White House physician in Trump’s first term and allegedly told him he was healthier than his predecessors.
Trump and some of his top deputies, such as Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Mehmet Oz, have joked about the public scrutiny surrounding the president’s health.
"Dr. Oz looked at his medical records and said he’s got the highest testosterone level that he’s ever seen for an individual over 70 years old,” Kennedy said on a podcast earlier this year.
The White House has shut down rumors that the president had been secretly rushed to Walter Reed during a period of low public activity.
After people claimed online that Trump had been rushed to the hospital, the White House posted a “Wall of Shame”
Image credits: White House
In early April, when claims that Trump had been taken to the hospital went viral, the White House issued a statement clarifying that he was monitoring search-and-rescue operations in Iran.
“Trump was in the Oval Office and Situation Room commanding one of the most daring, complex military search-and-rescue missions in modern American history,” the statement read.
The White House also created a digital “Wall of Shame” that targeted influencers and reporters who had spread claims about a hospital visit.
“The response was warranted because this was clearly an organized misinformation campaign peddled by left-wing accounts,” press secretary Karoline Leavitt told The Washington Post last month.
“Spreading false and slanderous misinformation about the President is dangerous, and the White House will always hold people accountable for their egregious lies.”
People shared their thoughts on the speculation surrounding the US president’s health
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