Donald Trumpis facing fresh scrutiny over his health in Washington and beyond, as medical experts, political strategists and former allies claim the 79-year-old is showing 'classic signs of dementia' and possible stroke-related issues in recent months.
Questions about Trump's health have been simmering for years, but they have intensified since late 2025, when a string of unexplained bruises, rashes, visible bandages and apparent lapses in speech and movement drew wider public attention. The president, who insists he is in 'very good' condition, has repeatedly rejected concerns and cast himself as the 'healthiest president' in US history, but the chorus of doubters now includes people who once defended him.
In an in-depth profile published by The Wall Street Journal on 1 January, Trump addressed one of the most visible issues head-on. He said thebruises on his hands, frequently picked apart on social media, were the result of taking a higher dose of aspirin in recent years. Aspirin, he argued, was helping to thin his blood.
'They say aspirin is good for thinning out the blood, and I don't want thick blood pouring through my heart,' he told the paper. 'I want nice, thin blood pouring through my heart. Does that make sense?' He added that doctors would prefer him on a smaller dose, but he had been taking the larger one 'for years,' accepting that it 'causes bruising.' To head off speculation, he reportedly relies on makeup and bandages to cover marks and discolouration.
A recent appearance showed Trump's skin and hands looking noticeably altered. On 3 March, cameras captured him with a heavy layer of foundation on his face and neck, a day after he was seen with what appeared to be a rash.
His primary physician, Dr. Sean Barbabella, moved quickly to explain that Trump was using 'a very common cream on the right side of his neck' as a preventative treatment for a skin condition. 'The president is using this treatment for one week, and the redness is expected to last for a few weeks,' Barbabella said.
By late March, Trump again appeared to be masking something. During the 24 March swearing-in of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, he appeared to have make-up on his right hand. Soon after, he was photographed with plasters on the same hand at Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia. Officials did not offer a detailed explanation.
Beneath the cosmetic questions sits a more serious medical puzzle. Trump underwent advanced imaging of his cardiovascular and abdominal systems in October 2025. He initially described the test as an MRI before later telling the Wall Street Journal it was 'less than that. It was a scan.' No full report has been made public.
On a January episode ofThe Court Historypodcast, Professor Bruce Davidson of Washington State University's Elson S Floyd College of Medicine went further than most. Citing changes in Trump's gait, speech and posture, he suggested the former president may have suffered a stroke that was never disclosed.
'I think his stroke was on the left side of the brain, which controls the right side of the body,' Davidson said, adding that he believed it happened 'six months ago or more, earlier in 2025,' He pointed to footage of Trump shuffling his feet instead of striding, cradling his right hand in his left and 'garbling words' in a way not seen in earlier years, though he noted some recent improvement. Davidson also highlighted 'marked episodes of excessive daytime sleepiness,' including Trump dozing during a White House event in July 2025 and again at the US Open.
Source: International Business Times UK
