News of President Donald Trump’s second “routine” annual physical examination of the year — six months after his last checkup — kindled speculation about the 79-year-old’s health.
Trump on Friday will undergo an examination at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, where he will also address military personnel.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from CNN and NBC News on why the president is returning to Walter Reed for another checkup.
“On Friday morning, President Trump will visit Walter Reed Medical Center for a planned meeting and remarks with the troops,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement. “While there, President Trump will stop by for his routine yearly check up. He will then return to the White House. President Trump is considering going to the Middle East shortly thereafter.”
The announcement drew questions and accusations from a number of prominent left-wing social media accounts on X.
“Why is the White House lying and when will the press push on it?” frequent Trump critic Adam Cochran wrote.
Public Notice journalist Aaron Rupar followed up on the announcement of Trump’s pending physical by posting a video of the president during a White House roundtable on Antifa with a group of independent journalists. “Trump’s face was drooping and he had a hard time staying awake on camera today,” Rupar wrote on X.
Following Trump’s prior medical examination in April, White House physician Sean Barbabella reported the president was in “excellent health” in a memo that included vital statistics and a diagnostic summary.
Barbabella also noted “scaring on the right ear from a gunshot wound” from an assassination attempt during a July rally near Butler, Pennsylvania.
“President Trump’s days include participation in multiple meetings, public appearances, press availability, and frequent victories in golf events,” Barbabella wrote. “President Trump exhibits excellent cognitive and physical health and is fully fit to execute the duties of the Commander-in-Chief and Head of State.”
Trump and his allies routinely hammered former President Joe Biden over his physical health and mental acuity in the lead-up to the 2024 election, accusing Democrats of a conspiracy to cover up his predecessor’s “cognitive decline.” In June, the White House called for an investigation to look into “any activity, coordinated or otherwise, to purposefully shield the public from information regarding Biden’s mental and physical health.”
In July, Trump was diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency (CVI), a condition that develops when key valves in leg veins are no longer able to help blood flow back up to the heart, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Barbabella said it is a “benign and common” condition in individuals over the age of 70.
A September poll conducted by YouGov found that nearly two-thirds of the 1,177 respondents believe Trump’s health and age are having a negative affect on his ability to govern, with 49% saying he is experiencing a cognitive and physical decline.
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