Trump medical exam reignites debate over presidential transparency and ageing US leaders

Donald Trump is set to undergo a medical examination on Tuesday, placing his health under renewed public scrutiny as he continues to dismiss concerns regarding his age and stamina.

The 79-year-old president is scheduled to visit Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for what the White House has described as annual preventative medical and dental check-ups. This marks Trump's fourth publicly disclosed medical exam since he returned to office for a second term, occurring as he endeavours to project strength ahead of midterm elections that will test his influence with voters.

For decades, administrations have released selected results from presidential physicals, offering the public a glimpse into the commander-in-chief’s health. However, these results are filtered through the White House and require presidential approval, raising questions about the extent of public disclosure.

Trump, who turns 80 next month, was the oldest person elected US president. His predecessor, former President Joe Biden, was 82 when he left office, withdrawing from the 2024 presidential race amid widespread concerns about his age.

An April poll by The Washington Post/ABC News/Ipsos found that less than half of US adults believe Trump possesses the mental sharpness or physical health to serve effectively as president.

"I think concern for the president’s physical health is probably at an all-time high, and I think advanced physical age is the No. 1 concern," stated Dr Jeffrey Kuhlman, who served as a White House physician for over a decade under former presidents Barack Obama, George W Bush and Bill Clinton. For a president of Trump’s age, a comprehensive physical would typically include advanced heart testing, screening for common cancers, and a cognitive assessment, alongside basic measurements like height, weight, and blood pressure, Kuhlman added.

AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin

The White House has not specified the exact procedures involved in the visit but has expressed confidence in the anticipated findings. "President Trump is the sharpest and most accessible President in American history who is working nonstop to solve problems and deliver on his promises, and he remains in excellent health," White House spokesperson Davis Ingle said in a statement.

There is no formal law mandating presidents to publicise their health records, and the degree of transparency has varied across administrations. Trump’s previous reports have drawn criticism for their lack of detail and for presenting statistics that some medical experts viewed with scepticism.

In the weeks leading up to his visit, Trump has claimed to feel as good as he did five decades ago, even as he jokes about his fondness for fast food and minimal exercise. Yet, he remains sensitive to perceptions about his age, noting that he takes extra caution when descending the steps from Air Force One to avoid headlines about a stumble.

At public appearances, Trump is often seen wearing make-up to conceal bruising on his hands, which the White House attributes to handshaking and regular aspirin use. He has occasionally appeared drowsy during meetings and closed his eyes for extended periods, though he denies having fallen asleep.

Trump frequently boasts of having "aced" cognitive tests while often deriding Biden, who faced questions about his mental acuity. Some of Trump’s past physicals have included the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, used to screen for dementia and cognitive impairment. His physicians reported a score of 30 out of 30 for Trump during his 2018 and 2025 check-ups.

However, critics have cited Trump’s meandering speeches and sometimes bellicose rhetoric as potential evidence of cognitive decline. Last month, a statement from more than 30 neurologists, psychiatrists, and other medical experts – who acknowledged they had never examined him – declared Trump mentally unfit to serve and warned of an "increasingly dangerous decline" in his behaviour based on what they termed "objectively observable signs of serious medical concern." Ingle countered, "Any so-called medical professionals engaging in armchair diagnosis or false speculation for political purposes are clearly breaking the Hippocratic Oath they’ve sworn to."

Just like any other patient, presidents retain the right to choose what is disclosed about their health, according to Sara Rosenthal, a bioethicist at the University of Kentucky who studies presidential health. Questions surrounding transparency have become more acute as America elects ageing presidents like Trump and Biden, she noted.

AP Photo/Luis M. Alvarez

"I think we can expect very little disclosure about the true health status of any president unless they’re in perfect health," said Rosenthal, who has proposed an independent medical organisation to review and report on the health of the president and those in the line of succession.

Trump’s first medical report in his second term was released last April. In July, he was diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, a common condition in older adults that causes blood to pool in the veins. Photographs have shown the president with swollen feet, ankles, and calves, which the White House described as a symptom of chronic venous insufficiency leading to "mild swelling" in his lower legs. Following his last publicly disclosed exam, described as a routine follow-up last October, Trump’s physician issued a one-page summary stating the president was in "exceptional health" without divulging many specific results.

The frequency of Trump's medical check-ups is not uncommon for someone his age, according to S Jay Olshansky of the University of Illinois-Chicago, who has studied the health of past presidents. It is part of a strategy to identify problems while they are still treatable, Olshansky explained. He argues that the public deserves to see more than White House medical summaries that "may be subject to editorial discretion," advocating for full, unredacted medical records to be made public: "Nothing should be hidden."

The White House has not confirmed whether Trump’s visit will include any procedures requiring anaesthesia. Trump’s last colon exam was in 2024, with a follow-up recommended in three years. Should Trump require anaesthesia, Vice President JD Vance would be expected to assume temporary control of the office under the 25th Amendment. This last occurred in 2021 when Vice President Kamala Harris was briefly sworn in while Biden underwent a colonoscopy. Former President George W Bush twice transferred power to Vice President Dick Cheney.