‘My health is perfect’: Trump dismisses scrutiny of his age and fitness

Despite scrutiny of his occasionally drowsy appearance and the patches of makeup that have recently appeared on his hand, United States President Donald Trump has dismissed concerns about his health in a new interview with The Wall Street Journal.

The interview was published in the newspaper’s edition on Thursday. Trump was questioned by the reporters from the Wall Street Journal about his age, fitness, and recent medical conditions in its pages.

At times, the US president appeared to have had a mild irritability. At the beginning of their conversation, Trump said, “Let’s talk about health once more for the 25th time.”

Trump is 79 years old right now. He will be 82 years old by the time its conclusion, so should he finish his second term entirely.

He would surpass Joe Biden’s previous record set by him as the country’s oldest president ever to hold the record.

Trump has also been subject to scrutiny for his aging body and mind, just like Biden. Trump has been spotted nod off during public appearances since taking office in January 2025, and close-up photos of his hand as recently as December reveal thick patches of makeup.

Trump himself expressed concern in October when he revealed that he had undergone an MRI scan, a method frequently employed to diagnose and monitor serious conditions like cancer, heart disease, and other soft tissue conditions.

Trump insists that “nothing’s wrong,” saying that “nothing is wrong.”

Trump reversed on Thursday, stating that he had received a computed tomography (CT) scan rather than an MRI scan, which offers less detail and is more accurate.

One of his doctors previously referred to the procedure as a CT scan in addition to an MRI.

Trump expressed regret for getting any procedure when it was discussed because it fueled both media speculation and his critics.

Trump told the newspaper, “It’s too bad I took it because it gave them a little ammunition.”

“Oh gee, is something wrong with them, because the fact that I took it said, “Oh gee, is something wrong. “,” I said. Nothing is wrong, then, I suppose.

He denied any medical conditions. He told the reporters, “My health is perfect.”

Trump also refrained from claiming that he had snoozed at meetings. The president’s eyelids swelled forward in one instance during Trump’s cabinet meeting on December 2. He sat there as if nodding off.

Trump, however, attributed the media’s failure to spread false rumors in his Wall Street Journal interview. He compared the alleged sleeping incidents to the fact that “sometime they’ll take a picture of me blinking, blinking, and they’ll catch me with the blink.”

He acknowledged to the newspaper that he had asked White House staff to cut back on his schedule so that he could attend more crucial meetings, but he argued that the decision had no bearing on his level of concentration or alertness.

Trump claimed that he has never been a “big sleeper.”

high aspirin dosage

The Journal’s interview revealed that Trump had a lot of aspirin in his system and that was one of the biggest revelations.

Trump said, “I don’t want thick blood pouring through my heart, but aspirin is good for thinning out the blood.” “I want thin, nice blood pouring through my heart.”

A heart attack or stroke is occasionally prevented by taking daily aspirin, especially in older people.

Trump claimed to be on the higher end of the spectrum, at least 325mg per day, compared to the Mayo Clinic, while the typical dosage starts at around 75mg.

Trump compared his doctors to his doctor, saying, “They’d rather have me take the smaller one.” The larger one, however, I’ve done it for years.

Trump attributed the high aspirin regimen to making his hands feel bruising-free, which is another source of persistent public scrutiny. When he is “whacked again by someone,” he explained, he uses makeup to conceal his actions.

He said, citing an instance in which Attorney General Pam Bondi accidentally cut his hand with her ring, “I have makeup that’s, you know, easy to put on, takes about 10 seconds.”

Trump, a devoted golfer, also confirmed to the Journal that he does not share Robert F. Kennedy Jr. or Pete Hegseth’s enthusiasm for exercise and fitness.

“I simply don’t like it,” she said. Trump called it “boring” and said it. It’s not for me to walk on a treadmill or run on one for hours like some people do.

Trump did, however, make the announcement that the Presidential Fitness Test would be relaunched in public schools in August. This is a nationwide physical fitness test for students in grades K through 12. In 2013 there were no longer any tests for all people, despite the inclusion of more inclusive fitness standards.

Fatphobic remarks made by members of Trump’s administration, particularly those directed at senior military figures with distinguished service, have also been condemned.

Hegseth told hundreds of military leaders at a meeting in Quantico, Virginia, in October that it was “tiresome to look out at combat formations” and “see fat troops” or “to see fat generals and admirals in the halls” when they entered the Pentagon.

Since the tumult of the 2024 presidential election, when Biden dropped his re-election bid due to questions about his age, has become a more pressing issue in the US political sphere.

The then-81-year-old Biden appeared to struggle to finish his thoughts during a particularly disastrous presidential debate on June 2024.

On the campaign trail, Trump, who has faced similar criticism, blasted Biden as “Sleepy Joe,” and he continues to use his Democratic rival’s skill to contrast with his own.

However, as older candidates for office age, questions about aging presidents have long been a source of concern.

Reagan, a Republican, was well known for challenging rumors about his qualifications, especially as he campaigned for a second term in the 1980s. When he left office, he was 77 years old, and by 1994, he had revealed that he had Alzheimer’s disease.

Source: Aljazeera