Everyone has an opinion on Donald Trump’s health. You’ve seen the headlines, the late-night jokes, and the grainy slow-mo videos of him walking down ramps or holding a water glass. But if you actually look at the medical releases from 2025 and early 2026, the picture is a weird mix of "perfect" reports and one specific, confirmed diagnosis that most people haven't even heard of.
So, what health issue does trump have exactly?
The Official Word: Chronic Venous Insufficiency
In July 2025, the White House dropped a bit of a bombshell. They confirmed that President Trump has been diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency (CVI).
Honestly, the name sounds way more terrifying than it usually is. Basically, CVI means the valves in your leg veins aren't working like they should. Instead of blood zipping back up to your heart, it kinda pools in the lower legs. This is why you might have noticed his ankles looking swollen in those photos from the summer of 2025.
White House physician Dr. Sean Barbabella described it as "benign and common," which is technically true. About 1 in 20 Americans deal with it. It’s the kind of thing that makes your legs feel heavy or achy, especially if you spend hours on your feet—like, say, playing 18 holes of golf.
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How is he treating it?
The treatment isn't surgery or some experimental drug. It’s mostly lifestyle stuff.
- Compression Socks: These are basically tight stockings that squeeze the legs to help blood flow.
- Leg Elevation: You've probably heard he’s been sitting more during meetings lately; that’s likely why.
- Aspirin: In a pretty candid interview with the Wall Street Journal in early 2026, Trump admitted he takes a "larger" dose of aspirin than his doctors recommend because he wants "nice, thin blood."
The MRI Mystery of late 2025
Things got a bit murky in October 2025. Trump revealed he had an MRI, which immediately sent the internet into a tailspin. MRIs aren't usually "routine" for a guy his age unless you're looking for something specific, like soft tissue issues or neurological changes.
He later backtracked and said it was actually a CT scan. The White House eventually clarified it was a "preventative" scan of his heart and abdomen. Skeptics, of course, didn't buy it. They pointed out that his public appearances dropped by nearly 40% last year. He’s also been seen with makeup-smeared bandages on his hands, which he claims are just bruises from "shaking too many hands," though CVI and high-dose aspirin can also lead to easy bruising.
The Cognitive Question
You can't talk about Trump’s health without hitting the "mental acuity" debate. It’s basically the national pastime at this point.
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The White House released a report in April 2025 showing a perfect 30/30 score on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Trump loves this. He’s bragged about "acing" it multiple times, even as recently as January 2026.
But critics like Dr. Bandy Lee and Dr. John Gartner have been vocal on podcasts lately, claiming they see "phonemic paraphasias"—basically a fancy way of saying he’s swapping out words or losing the thread of sentences more often. The White House dismisses this as "fake news," attributing his rambling stories about the Unabomber or "genius babies" to a unique rhetorical style rather than decline.
Vital Stats: By the Numbers
If we look at the actual paperwork from his last full physical (April 2025), here is what’s on the record:
- Weight: 224 pounds (Down from previous years).
- Blood Pressure: 128/74 mmHg (Pretty solid).
- Cholesterol: He’s on Rosuvastatin and Ezetimibe, which keeps his LDL at a very low 51 mg/dL.
- Heart: EKG and echocardiogram came back normal.
He’s also had bilateral cataract surgery at some point and deals with rosacea (hence the skin creams).
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What Does This Mean for the Future?
Trump is turning 80 in June 2026. At that age, "perfect health" is a relative term. While the CVI diagnosis is the only major "new" thing on his chart, the combination of his age, his refusal to exercise on a treadmill (he finds it "boring"), and his lightened schedule suggests he's definitely managing the realities of being the oldest sitting president in history.
Actionable Insights for Monitoring Health in Seniors:
- Watch for Swelling: If you or a loved one has CVI like the President, look for "pitting edema"—where a finger press leaves a dimple in the skin.
- Cognitive Baselines: Regular MoCA tests (like the ones Trump takes) are great for catching changes early, but they are "screening" tools, not full diagnostic workups.
- Aspirin Caution: Never up your aspirin dose without a doctor’s green light. Thinning your blood too much can lead to internal bleeding risks that far outweigh the benefits of "nice, thin blood."
The reality of what health issue does trump have is less about a single "secret" illness and more about the visible struggle of a 79-year-old man trying to maintain a 40-year-old's energy level. Keep an eye on his "hand bruises" and his sitting habits—those are the real tells.