Trump
completes ‘semiannual’ physical before traveling to Middle East
White
House had described doctor visit as ‘routine yearly checkup’ although president
had annual physical in April
Guardian
staff and agencies
Sat 11
Oct 2025 04.02 CEST
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/oct/10/trump-physical-walter-reed
Donald
Trump – the oldest person ever to be elected US president – had what he has
described as a “semiannual physical” at the Walter Reed national military
medical center on Friday.
The
visit, which the White House announced earlier this week, comes as Trump is
preparing to travel to the Middle East on the heels of a ceasefire deal in the
Israel-Hamas war. The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, described
it as a “routine yearly checkup”, although the president had his annual
physical in April.
Trump
left the White House at about 10.45am on Friday and returned to the grounds at
2.15pm, which was slightly ahead of schedule. He did not answer questions from
reporters upon his arrival, and the White House has not indicated when it would
release results or more information about his exams.
The White
House declined to explain why Trump was getting a yearly checkup at Walter
Reed, which is in Bethesda, Maryland, six months after his annual exam. But in
an exchange with reporters on Thursday, the Republican president said it was a
“semiannual physical”.
“I’m
meeting with the troops, and I’m also going to do a, sort of, semiannual
physical, which I do,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “I think I’m in
great shape, but I’ll let you know.”
A summary
of the checkup from Trump’s doctor, Sean Barbabella, said the visit was part of
his health maintenance plan. The doctor also wrote that Trump’ underwent an
evaluation that included advanced imaging and laboratory testing, but cast the
tests as routine and suggested that he is in “exceptional health”.
Barbabella
claimed Trump’s cardiac age was found to be 14 years younger than his age of
79.
Trump’s
April physical found that he was “fully fit” to serve as commander in chief.
The three-page summary of the exam done by Barbabella, said he had lost 20lb
(9kg) since a medical exam in June 2020 and that he had an “active lifestyle”
that “continues to contribute significantly” to the wellbeing of the president,
who is 79.
Since his
April exam, Trump was diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, a condition
that can cause swelling, as the president has experienced in his legs and is
common in older adults. Trump’s physician also addressed concern about bruising
on the president’s hand, attributing it to irritation caused by frequent
handshaking and his use of aspirin as a standard cardiovascular prevention
regimen.
Recent
images of a purplish bruise on Trump’s hand, which appeared to have been
covered with makeup, fueled online speculation that the president was ill. When
Leavitt discussed the results of his chronic venous insufficiency diagnosis
from the briefing room, she noted that the White House was disclosing details
of the checkup to dispel rumors about Trump’s health.
At the
April physical, Trump also passed a short screening test to assess different
brain functions.
Presidents
have large discretion over what health information they choose to release to
the public. Trump’s summary from his April exam included information about his
weight, body mass index, past surgeries, mental health screenings, cholesterol
levels and blood pressure. Trump’s previous medical reports typically produced
a flattering report scarce on details.
Trump has
long been cagey about his health, and concern about the president’s wellbeing
stretches back to his first term. But wild rumors reached a fever pitch when
the president faded from public view for several days over the summer, with
critics and TikTok influencers speculating that the president was on his
deathbed. “NEVER FELT BETTER IN MY LIFE!” Trump wrote at the time, in an
assertion that only fueled suspicions of a cover-up.
Lauren
Gambino contributed reporting
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