Donald Trump insists he’s positive—a paragon of well being and vitality, in actual fact. And should you suppose in any other case? “It’s seditious, even perhaps treasonous,” within the president’s estimation.
“I work very onerous, in all probability tougher than I’ve ever labored earlier than,” Trump declared in a Reality Social publish final week, seemingly in response to a weeks-old New York Instances report concerning the 79-year-old’s obvious decline in stamina. “I’ll know when I’m ‘slowing up,’ but it surely’s not now!”
In fact, his belated declaration of hardiness solely drew extra consideration to his well being—a topic of specific scrutiny throughout this primary yr of Trump’s second time period. (“Mine is sweet,” Trump’s chief of workers, Susie Wiles, lately instructed Vainness Honest when requested about her well being and that of the president. “His is nice.”) What’s happening together with his palms? Why is he seemingly dozing off throughout conferences? (Per Wiles: “He’s not asleep. He’s received his eyes closed and his head leaned again…and, , he’s positive.”) And why does he all the time appear to be taking cognitive assessments? Right here, we evaluation the questions Trump has confronted since January—and the fervent denials which have solely stored hypothesis simmering.
Trump wears a bandage on his proper hand delivering remarks throughout an occasion at Mount Ethereal On line casino Resort, December 9, 2025.Alex Wong/Getty Pictures.
The Hand State of affairs
Let’s begin with Trump’s palms, which have repeatedly appeared bruised or discolored and have sometimes been lined with Band-Aids or caked-on make-up—as seen throughout his latest look on the White Home Congressional Ball. Karoline Leavitt, the White Home press secretary, has stated that the president’s palms are bruised “as a result of he’s continuously working and shaking palms all day daily.”
“President Trump is a person of the folks,” Leavitt defined in February. “The president is actually continuously shaking palms,” Leavitt reiterated this month.
Sean Barbabella, doctor to the president, additionally chalked up Trump’s hand bruises to his glad-handing behavior, in addition to an aspirin routine. “President Trump stays in wonderful well being,” Barbabella stated in a July memo. However many social media customers (in addition to docs who haven’t handled Trump) have questioned that rationalization, speculating as a substitute that the bruising and Band-Aids might be associated to an undisclosed medical situation.
