Growing concerns about Trump’s health: What we know about the president’s medical check-up at Walter Reed
Ahead of a check-up at Walter Reed Medical Center on Friday, President Donald Trump insisted he feels “in great shape”.
Donald Trump was scheduled to have what the White House described as an annual health check-up on Friday morning - just six months after the last one.
In a statement on Wednesday, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the U.S. president was to visit Walter Reed Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, for “a planned meeting and remarks with the troops”.
Leavitt added: “While there, President Trump will stop by for his routine yearly check up.”
Trump’s last annual physical, performed by White House physician Dr. Sean Barbabella, was held on April 11 this year.
“I like to check always early”
Speaking to reporters the day after Leavitt’s announcement, the president characterized Friday’s check-up as a “semi-annual” appointment, insisting it had been scheduled out of routine vigilance.
“I like to check always early, always be early,” the 79-year-old said. “It’s a lesson for a lot of people.”
Trump added: “I think I’m in great shape, but I’ll let you know. I have no difficulty thus far - is there wood around here? I’ll knock on it. Physically I feel very good, mentally I feel very good."
The president boasted that he had scored maximum points in a cognitive exam earlier this year, telling reporters: “One of the doctors said he’s almost never seen a perfect score.”
After Trump’s check-up this spring, Dr. Barbabella maintained that the president is “fully fit to execute the duties of the Commander-in-Chief and Head of State”. The physician declared that Trump exhibits “robust cardiac, pulmonary, neurological, and general physical function”.
Americans worried about Trump health
Nevertheless, Trump was the oldest president ever to take office when he started his second term in January - and polls show that the U.S. public is increasingly concerned about his age and health.
According to the results of survey published by YouGov last month, 63% of Americans believe these two factors are negatively impacting Trump’s ability to perform his duties. This represents a 7% increase since before last November’s presidential election, YouGov said.
What’s more, 51% of Americans now believe Trump isn’t being sufficiently transparent about his health, up from 44%.
At the start of September, Trump was forced to confront online claims that he was in ill health, after he wasn’t seen in public in the days before the Labor Day weekend. “I was very active,” the president insisted, per Reuters. He branded the rumors over his physical well-being “fake”.
In July, Trump was diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency (CVI), a blood-circulation condition that chiefly affects the veins in the legs. Dr. Barbabella has described CVI as “a benign and common condition, particularly in individuals over the age of 70”.
Trump’s CVI diagnosis came after he was found to be suffering from swelling in his legs, Leavitt revealed.
The president has also been seen with noticeable bruising on the back of his hand. This, the White House physician says, is due to a “minor soft tissue irritation from frequent handshaking”. It is also a “benign side effect” from aspirin use, Dr. Barbabella said.
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