It didn’t take long for the internet to explode after a photo of Donald Trump biting down on a small blue object at the U.S. Open began making the rounds on Sunday.
The image, taken by award-winning photographer Andres Kudacki during the men’s final between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, appears to show the president mid-chew, a distinctly blue item clenched between his teeth. And while it might have been nothing more than a breath mint, the timing, the color, and the mystery were more than enough to spark a wave of online theories — some hilarious, others serious.
This marked Trump’s first return to the U.S. Open in a decade. His presence didn’t go unnoticed. Security at Arthur Ashe Stadium was visibly tighter, delaying the final match.
A spokesperson for the Secret Service acknowledged the disruption: “We recognize that enhanced security for the President’s visit to the U.S. Open may have contributed to delays for attendees. We sincerely thank every fan for their patience and understanding.”
When Trump appeared on the big screen, the reaction was instant: a mix of loud boos and scattered applause. He sat surrounded by members of his staff, Cabinet officials, Jared Kushner, and his granddaughter Arabella — but it was that little blue object that stole the spotlight.
Photographer Andres Kudacki, who captured the now-viral image, initially described the object as Trump “taking a tablet” in a post on X. But later, when pressed by The Daily Beast, he clarified he wasn’t exactly sure what he had seen.
“I don’t know what it was specifically, I said it was a ‘tablet’ as that works for both, a mint or a tablet,” Kudacki said.
He added, “I was waiting for some reaction from him, he’s a big personality,” and noted that Trump was “very discreet” — he never saw the president take the item from a container.
That left the door wide open for speculation — and social media did what it does best.
Was it a mint? A medication? Something else entirely?
On X (formerly Twitter), armchair pharmacists and meme-makers suggested everything from Adderall and Viagra to Lexapro, Valium, and even chlorthalidone — sold under the brand name Hygroton — a blue square-shaped pill used to treat high blood pressure and fluid retention.
Some users roped in X’s AI assistant Grok for help identifying the mystery object. After initially shrugging, Grok gave a list of possibilities, saying: “Possible matches include clonazepam (1mg, round, for anxiety), alprazolam (1mg, round/oval, for anxiety), or Adderall (10mg, round, for ADHD). Could also be OTC like naproxen. Still uncertain without details.”
The guessing game has taken on a sharper edge in light of Trump’s documented health issues. In July, the White House confirmed the president had been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, a condition where vein valves in the legs have trouble sending blood back to the heart. That announcement followed weeks of speculation about his visibly swollen ankles and bruised hands.
