Fresh health concerns are swirling around Donald Trump as he heads to hospital for a third time in 13 months, a frequency that has medical experts publicly questioning his physical condition and mental fitness for office.
The President is scheduled to visit Walter Reed Medical Center on Tuesday for a medical and dental checkup.
Trump previously saw doctors in April 2025 for his annual physical exam before returning in October for a ‘scheduled follow-up.’
The latest visit comes as the President has been seen at public events with a growing number of bruises and red marks across his skin, including on his neck and hands.
The public is also taking notice. A Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll conducted in April found just 40 percent of Americans believe Trump has the mental sharpness to serve as the President.
That marks a seven-point drop from 47 percent in September. Questions about Trump’s health come after he made the issue central to the 2024 election, when he repeatedly slammed Joe Biden for lacking the mental capacity to stay in office.
On physical health, the numbers are even starker: 44 percent now say he is fit for the job, a sharp drop from 54 percent.
Trump, 79, the oldest president ever inaugurated, has repeatedly claimed he is in ‘excellent health’ and feels better than he did 30 years ago.
Fresh health concerns are swirling around President Donald Trump , 79, as he heads to Walter Reed Medical Center for the third time in 13 months
The latest visit comes as the President has been seen at public events with a growing number of bruises and red marks across his skin, including on his neck and hands
The left foot and swollen ankle of President Donald Trump are pictured as he sits with Bahrain’s Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa in the Oval Office of the White House in July 2025
A red rash appears on the President’s neck at a White House event in March
In recent months, Trump’s ankles have also appeared swollen alongside the repeated bruising, and the President has occasionally been seen closing his eyes during meetings.
Former White House doctors have also raised concerns that there may be a deeper issue with Trump’s health.
‘This White House just doesn’t seem to want to acknowledge any physical ailment, but older people develop medical issues, and the president is almost 80 years old,’ said Jonathan Reiner, the former cardiologist for Vice President Dick Cheney.
‘There just seems to be a lack of candor from the White House.’
Trump has previously bragged about receiving ‘strong’ cognitive scores on all of his mental health exams, though those test results are not available for public review.
Presidents are not required to disclose their annual health records, but in recent months there has been bipartisan support among lawmakers for the creation of an independent commission to assess the President’s health.
Trump’s top health officials regarding scrutiny of the President’s medical records.
‘Dr. Oz looked at his medical records and said he’s got the highest testosterone level that he’s ever seen for an individual over 70 years old,’ Robert F. Kennedy said in a podcast Katie Miller.
A bruise on a hand of Donald Trump is seen during a meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung at the Oval Office, at the White House, in Washington, DC, US, August 25
As Trump’s medical checkups have grown more frequent, online rumors and conspiracy theories about the President’s health have spread like wildfire, prompting swift pushback from the White House.
One flashpoint came in early April, when viral claims that Trump had been rushed to Walter Reed forced the White House to insist he was actually monitor search-and-rescue operations in Iran.
The administration then launched a digital ‘Wall of Shame’ targeting not just influencers behind the rumors but reporters and outlets that noted Trump’s lack of a public appearance.
‘Trump was in the Oval Office and Situation Room commanding one of the most daring, complex military search-and-rescue missions in modern American history, the Radical Left revealed the true sickness rotting their souls,’ the White House wrote in a statement.
