Donald Trump’s neck was marked by a painful-looking red rash as he handed out Medals of Honor to veterans at the White House on Monday, days after the US went to war with Iran.

The skin behind his right ear appeared scabbed and flaking, visible to cameras as he moved along the line of honorees.

The rash was immediately noticed as social media users speculated whether it was connected to a specific condition or diagnosis. ‘Strange marks on Trump’s neck,’ said one X user.

Another said it looked like a ‘nasty’ outbreak of shingles, while a third claimed it was a bad reaction to cleaning products on his clothing: ‘He is getting his dry cleaning done on his flights and wearing his suits too soon.’ 

The President has come under increasing scrutiny after he revealed last year that he easily bruises and bleeds, with photos often showing a blob of makeup covering the back of his hands.

Trump, 79, has attributed the bruising and cuts to a high aspirin dose and the relentless handshaking that comes with the job. 

He was diagnosed last summer with chronic venous insufficiency, a condition caused by damaged leg veins that impairs blood flow back to the heart and can produce swelling in the legs and ankles. 

There is no suggestion that the rash spotted on Trump’s neck is anything other than a common skin issue. The Daily Mail has contacted the White House for comment. 

Donald Trump’s neck was plagued by a painful-looking red rash as he attended a medals ceremony on Monday following a grueling 48 hours as the US went to war with Iran 

The skin behind the President’s right ear appeared to be scabbed and flaking as he handed awarded the Medal of Honor to veterans at the White House 

Trump has also faced questions about his energy levels after he has been spotted with his eyes closed during meetings.

‘They’re boring as hell,’ Trump told New York magazine in January.

‘I’m going around a room, and I’ve got 28 guys − the last one was three and a half hours,’ Trump said of his cabinet meetings.

‘I have to sit back and listen, and I move my hand so that people will know I’m listening. I’m hearing every word, and I can’t wait to get out.’ 

Some aides say they have to raise their voices in meetings, citing his declining hearing. 

He is the oldest person ever to assume the office of the presidency. The record he set in 2016 was broken by Joe Biden in 2020 and then broken yet again when Trump won a second, non-consecutive term in 2024. 

Biden was 82 when his presidency ended last January but Trump will clock in 82 years and seven months if he serves through January 2029.

Biden received a flood of criticism over his health and declining mental acuity during his four years in office. There was widespread reporting on concerns even within his own team over whether he was fit to continue leading the country.

: A bruise can be seen on the back of U.S. President Donald Trump’s left hand during a signing ceremony for the “Board of Peace” at the World Economic Forum (WEF) on January 22, 2026 in Davos, Switzerland 

A bruise on a hand of U.S. President Donald Trump is seen during a meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung at the Oval Office, at the White House, in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 25 

The left foot and swollen 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, Wednesday, July 16, 2025

Just four months after leaving office, Biden announced in May 2025 that he was diagnosed with an aggressive stage of prostate cancer that metastasized to his bones.

In addition to the visible bruising, Trump also had a brief stint wearing compression socks for his swelled ankles that he stopped wearing because he didn’t like them.

The President underwent an MRI scan late last year at the Walter Reed National Military.

The test sparked speculation about his brain health, however his doctor Sean Barbabella, described as a preventive and a ‘perfectly normal’ scan focused on his heart and abdomen.

Trump later said he regretted undergoing the checkup because it only fueled rumors about his health. 

‘In retrospect, it’s too bad I took it because it gave them a little ammunition,’ Trump told the Wall Street Journal in January.

‘I would have been a lot better off if they didn’t, because the fact that I took it said, “Oh gee, is something wrong?” Well, nothing’s wrong.’

Trump gets little sleep but maintains a rigorous schedule, but says he’s always gotten by on little shut-eye.

He still golfs frequently and travels around the world with little signs of slowing down.