Donald Trump is brushing off questions about his health again, insisting he’s in “great shape” both physically and mentally, as he prepares for a sudden trip to Walter Reed Medical Center on Friday.
The 79-year-old president will undergo what the White House is calling a “routine” physical. But it’s his second in six months, and it comes just three months after he was diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, a circulatory condition common in seniors that makes it harder for blood to return to the heart.
Despite the timing and underlying health concerns, Trump is downplaying the visit. Speaking from the Oval Office on Thursday next to Finnish president Alexander Stubb, Trump said, “I’m meeting with the troops and I’m going to do a sort of semi-annual physical. I think I’m in great shape, but I’ll let you know. Physically, I feel very good. Mentally, I feel very good.”
“I like to get checked early—always be early. It’s a lesson a lot of people could learn,” he said, taking a thinly veiled jab at Joe Biden.
Never one to miss a chance to revisit past triumphs, Trump reminded everyone of his previous cognitive test results, claiming another perfect score on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA)—a standard dementia screening that asks subjects to perform simple tasks like drawing a clock or repeating a series of words.
“I had a perfect score, and one of the doctors said he’s almost never seen a perfect score,” Trump said.
Then came the swipe at his predecessors.
“When they asked would I like to do one? I said: Yeah—did Obama do it? No. Did Bush do it? No. Did Biden do it? Biden wouldn’t have gotten through the first three questions, but Biden should have done it.
“I’m actually a person that believes that if you’re president, you should do a cognitive exam.”
This isn’t the first time Trump has boasted about his memory. In 2020, during his first term, he famously boasted on Fox News about recalling five words—“Person, woman, man, camera, TV”—in order, as part of the same test. That moment has since become part of Trump’s lore, often resurfacing at rallies and interviews as proof of his mental sharpness.
Meanwhile, the White House tried to frame Friday’s visit as nothing out of the ordinary.
“On Friday morning, President Trump will visit Walter Reed Medical Center for a planned meeting and remarks with the troops,” press secretary Karoline Leavitt said. “While there, President Trump will stop by for his routine yearly check-up. He will then return to the White House. President Trump is considering going to the Middle East shortly thereafter.”
Still, health rumors have been simmering for months.
Back in July, after Trump was spotted with swollen ankles, the White House revealed he had chronic venous insufficiency. While not immediately life-threatening, it can worsen with age and is often linked to lifestyle factors. Around the same time, observers noticed bruising on his hands—something Trump reportedly covers with makeup.
For now, the only thing we know for sure? He still remembers “Person, woman, man, camera, TV.”
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