President Donald Trump
has raised new questions about his health after he had a dental procedure over the weekend, and chose to visit his local dentist rather than use the on-site dentistry clinic at the White House.
The president was in Florida over the weekend to attend regional events, including a PGA tour game at his Doral golf club. On Saturday, a report from the White House press pool noted that Trump went to visit his local dentist in Florida for a scheduled appointment. Back in January, Trump
made a similar visit
to his Florida dentist, even though the White House has its own dental clinic on-site,
USA TODAY
reports.
Other presidents have used the White House operatory, including former President Joe Biden when he
needed a root canal
.
The Independent
has asked the White House for comment.
Trump, who will turn 80 next month, has been the subject of numerous health-related issues. Earlier this year,
bruising around Trump's hands
drew speculation that he was suffering from some malady. There has been a constant stream of commentary concerning
Trump's mental state
since his return to the White House. Presidential health trackers are also pointing to
Trump's swollen ankles
— photographed again during his weekend trip to Florida.
open image in gallery
President Donald Trump and his son, Donald Trump Jr, walking across the South Lawn of the White House. Trump visited a dentist in Florida over the weekend, and upon his return was spotted suffering from swollen ankles
(
Getty
)
On Saturday, Trump was photographed with his son, Donald Trump Jr. His swollen ankles visible in the photos are likely the result of chronic venous insufficiency, which he was diagnosed with last July.
According to the
Cleveland Clinic
, "CVI damages those valves, causing blood to pool in your legs."
"This increases pressure in your leg veins and causes symptoms like swelling and ulcers," according to the hospital.
In January, Trump told the
Wall Street Journal
that he'd tried using compression socks to help treat the issue but stopped because he "did't like them."
Trump has made some unusual medical choices in the past. Most notable is his use of aspirin. Trump takes
325 milligrams of aspirin
every day, according to the
Daily Beast
. That's four times the doctor-recommended dosage.
When asked why, Trump said it was because aspirin was “good for thinning out the blood, and I don’t want thick blood pouring through my heart."
Trump has previously blamed the bruising on his hands partly as a side effect of his aspirin use, while the White House previously explained it away by saying the discoloration was caused by frequent and vigorous handshaking.
Despite the continuous questions about his health, Trump has insisted he is perfectly healthy, both mentally and physically.
During a fundraising inner dinner earlier this year, Trump mentioned his former White House doctor, Ronny Jackson — who is now a Republican congressman from Texas — and said the physician told him he was "by far" the healthiest of the last three American presidents.
"He took a lot of heat for this," he said of Jackson. "They said, 'Who is the healthiest of the three?' He said, 'President Donald J Trump by far. If he didn't eat junk food, he'd live to 200 years old.' And I love this guy."
That list includes former President Barack Obama, who regularly played basketball and golfed — a pastime he shares with Trump — and whose weight remained around 180 pounds during his presidency.
In 2018, he told reporters that Trump's cardiac health was "excellent" and insisted that the president had good genes.
“He has incredible genes, I just assume," Jackson said,
according to CNN
.
Trump has also complained about footage of him closing his eyes for prolonged periods during press conferences in the Oval Office, saying photographers had caught him while he was blinking. He also told the Wall St Journal that he sometimes closed his eyes because “it’s very relaxing for me” and said that some meetings were “boring.”
open image in gallery
Trump has denied claims that he regularly falls asleep during meetings
(
Getty
)
One of Trump’s previous doctors, Harold Bornstein, gave the then-candidate a glowing health report, predicting that the Republican “will be the healthiest individual elected to the presidency.” Bornstein, who died in 2021, later claimed that Trump himself had written the report, telling CNN :”He dictated that whole letter. I didn’t write that letter. I just made it up as I went along.”
In 2021 it was claimed that Trump had been sicker than claimed when he was treated for Covid at Walter Reed Medical Center the previous year.
The next major medical milestone in Trump's career as president will likely be his annual checkup. He's almost a month overdue for his annual, which last took place on April 11, 2025.
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