Topline
President Donald Trump will undergo a medical and dental checkup at the end of May, which the White House says is an annual visit for preventative reasons, though it comes as concerns over the nearly 80-year-old president’s health faces scrutiny.
Trump maintains he is in excellent health despite public scrutiny. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Getty Images
Key Facts
Trump will undergo his medical and dental checkup on May 26, the White House announced, his fourth publicly disclosed visit to medical experts in his second term.
The White House said the visit will involve “routine annual dental and medical assessments as part of his regular preventive health care” but did not offer additional details on the medical exam.
Trump last had an annual physical in April 2025, and then had what the White House initially described as another “routine yearly checkup” in October, though Trump called it a “semiannual physical.”
The exam comes as Trump, who turns 80 in June and was the oldest person to be inaugurated as president, has faced increasing scrutiny over his health, particularly as he has appeared in public with bruised or bandaged hands and marks on his skin.
Trump’s upcoming doctor’s visit will take place at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, after which Trump plans to meet with members of the military, the White House’s announcement says.
Key Background
Trump’s doctor Sean Barbabella declared him to be in “excellent health” after his October visit to Walter Reed, saying he demonstrated “strong cardiovascular, pulmonary, neurological and physical performance.” Barbabella said Trump’s “cardiac age” was 14 years younger than his actual age, which was 79 at the time of his visit. Barbabella declared after Trump’s previous exam in April that he is “fully fit” to serve as president, noting Trump has an “active lifestyle” and had lost 20 pounds since a medical exam in June 2020. In October, Trump received what the White House said was a preventative MRI on his heart and abdomen, though Trump later said he had actually received a CT scan. Barbabella said in October Trump had received “advanced imaging” that is “standard for an executive physical” for Trump’s age. Barbabella said the scan was preventative and results were “perfectly normal.” Trump also made a trip to the doctor in July to address “mild swelling” in his legs, where he was diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, a common condition in older adults in which blood pools in the veins.
Why Have Concerns Mounted Over Trump’s Health?
Trump has frequently appeared in public throughout his second term with visible bruising on his hands, which have sometimes been bandaged. Trump initially blamed his bruised hands on “shaking hands with thousands of people” in a December 2024 interview, and after his July doctor’s visit, Barbabella said the bruising was due to “frequent handshaking and the use of aspirin.” Trump has said he takes 325 milligrams of aspirin, more than his doctors recommend, every day for “cardiac prevention.” Trump was seen with a red blotch on his neck in March, for which Barbabella said he prescribed him a “very common cream.” Trump has also faced accusations of falling asleep at White House events during his second term, including in the Oval Office earlier this week, though official White House X accounts claimed he was “blinking.”
How Has Trump Responded To Health Concerns?
Trump has frequently dismissed critics of his health and maintains he is fit to serve. On Monday, Trump said he feels “literally the same” as he did 50 years ago, adding, “I don’t know why. It’s not because I eat the best foods.” Last week, he claimed he “aced” multiple cognitive exams administered to him during his first and second terms, claiming a doctor told him it was the first time he had seen anyone get all questions correct. “You have a lion, a bear, an alligator and… a squirrel. OK, which is the squirrel?” Trump said of the test, noting the questions get “more difficult” toward the end. Trump suggested in January he regretted getting the CT scan months earlier, saying “it’s too bad I took it because it gave them a little ammunition,” referring to skeptics of his health. He told the Wall Street Journal in January his “health is perfect,” appearing to grow frustrated with public scrutiny over his fitness, saying, “Let’s talk about health again for the 25th time.”
Further Reading
As Signs of Aging Emerge, Trump Responds With Defiance (Wall Street Journal)