President Donald Trump was found to be in “exceptional health” by his physician after a checkup on Friday at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland.
The visit, which lasted roughly three hours, included lab tests and preventive health assessment, according to Navy Capt. Sean Barbabella, as part of the president “scheduled follow-up evaluation.”
While there, Trump, who is 79, received his yearly flu shot and COVID-19 booster vaccine.
Why It Matters
Ahead of the 2024 presidential election, much was said about the health of then President Joe Biden, with critics questioning whether his age made him unfit to stay in office.
Trump is only slightly younger than Biden, though he was the oldest person in U.S. history to be elected president. Rumors have recently emerged around his health when a dark bruise, later caked in make-up, appeared on his hand. The White House said that it was due to Trump’s chronic venous insufficiency diagnosis— “a benign and common condition, particularly in individuals over the age of 70”—but the explanation has not stopped speculation around the president’s wellbeing.
What To Know
Trump already underwent his annual physical in April, which found him “fully fit” to serve as the nation’s leader. The physician’s memo then found that the president had lost 20 pounds since a checkup in June 2020 and maintained an active lifestyle.
The president had another medical checkup in July, after he noticed a “mild swelling” of the legs, said the White House. That is when he was diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, a condition common in older adults which causes blood to pool in the veins.
During his latest checkup, Barbabella said he also evaluated the president’s cardiac age, finding him to be 14 years younger than his chronological age.
A caveat of these findings is that U.S. presidents have large discretion over what health information is passed on to the public.
What People Are Saying
Barbabella said in a one-page memo released by the White House on Friday: “President Donald J. Trump remains in exceptional health, exhibiting strong cardiovascular, pulmonary, neurological and physical performance.”
Trump said after his April medical checkup: ”Overall, I felt I was in very good shape.”
What Happens Next
This latest medical checkup was meant to assess the president’s health ahead of his trip to the Middle East this weekend amid a ceasefire deal in Gaza.
