The President has a red rash on the right side of his neck at a medal of honor ceremony at the White House, WASHINGTON, United States – 02 Mar 2026 -Credit:Pool/ABACA/Shutterstock
(Pool/ABACA/Shutterstock)
As Donald Trump approaches his 80th birthday, concerns about the commander in chief’s health have resurfaced.
With global tensions at an all-time high and U.S.- and Israeli-backed military strikes continuing in the Middle East, questions are circulating about the president’s mental fitness to authorize military action that has already killed at least 1,230 people, including 8 U.S. service members and 175 schoolgirls.
Recent photos that appear to show a rash on the president’s neck and bruising on his right hand, along with claims from his niece, Mary Trump, that he may be showing signs of dementia, have intensified speculation about his health.
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Dementia
Mary Trump claimed that her uncle has “no interest” in the Iranian people -Credit:Getty Images
Mary Trump, daughter of Donald’s older brother, Fred Trump Jr., is a vocal critic of her uncle. She frequently uses her platform on YouTube to discuss her dissent from the president. In a recent interview, she suggested that he may be grappling with “some kind of cognitive issues.”
Mary spoke with Thom Hartman on the subject, explaining that “part of the reason” she suspects he may be facing “cognitive issues” is based on “what other people are saying”.
Mary, who is a psychologist, explained that Trump’s recent claims about “acing” cognitive exams were not proof that he is mentally sound. She said, “You know, medical doctors who do understand that you don’t just get an MRI for fun and that an MRI coupled with repeated cognitive assessments typically means that doctors are concerned that there may be some issues going on cognitively.”
She continued, “And then of course, you know, we can see what’s going on with our own eyes, whether or not the Trump regime is willing to believe or allow us to believe our own eyes. He is suffering from bouts of aphasia.”
Mary noted that her grandfather, Donald’s father, suffered from Alzheimer’s, which has a genetic component. She said about her uncle, “Sometimes it does not seem like he’s oriented to time and place. And on occasion, I do see that deer-in-the-headlights look.”
Scabby Neck
The President has a red rash on the right side of his neck at a medal of honor ceremony at the White House, WASHINGTON, United States – 02 Mar 2026
Earlier this week, at a Medal of Honor ceremony at the White House, Trump was photographed with a dark red rash on the back of his neck. Viewers were quick to make speculations about the scabs until the White House released an official statement.
“President Trump is using a very common cream on the right side of his neck, which is a preventative skin treatment, prescribed by the White House Doctor,” Dr. Sean Barbabella, the president’s physician, said. “The President is using this treatment for one week, and the redness is expected to last for a few weeks.”
The White House doctor did not detail the specific target of the preventative skin treatment. However, CNN Medical Analyst Dr. Jonathan Reiner pointed out that such treatments are typically administered to prevent “overt skin cancer in people with precancerous skin lesions.” Irritation on the neck can be caused by various factors, including temporary reactions, allergies, and cancer.
The exact nature of the ailment being addressed remains unknown.
Heel Spurs
Trump has notoriously been described as a “draft dodger” for not fighting in the Vietnam War. The New York Times reports the president received five draft deferments during the war, including one in 1968 based on a medical diagnosis of heel spurs, or calcifications of the heel bone.
Now, decades later, the daughters of Dr. Larry Braunstein, a podiatrist who allegedly diagnosed Donald, have claimed the medical exemption was done as a favor to Trump’s father, Fred Trump.
His daughters, Dr. Elysa Braunstein and Sharon Kessel, told the Times that their father often recounted the tale before his death in 2007. However, these claims have not been proven.
Social media users are now joking that Trump’s youngest son, Barron, has heel spurs as well as fears of another draft for the war in Iran begin to swirl.
Bruised Hands
White House officials have offered a grim outlook on the partial government shutdown, which has entered its fourth week as Democrats and Republicans struggle to find common ground. -Credit:Getty Images
Speculation has long been circulating about the discoloration on the president’s right hand.
At the same medal ceremony earlier this week, viewers noticed what looked like foundation, or some other kind of makeup cover-up applied to the bruising on the back of his hand.
Trump’s bruised hands were on display for all to see -Credit:Getty Images
The dark bruise was first spotted in August of 2025. The White House has attributed it to the president’s “frequent handshaking” and regimen of 325 milligrams of Aspirin.
According to the Mayo Clinic, Aspirin has long been used in therapy for the prevention of heart attacks and strokes, particularly among patients with established cardiovascular disease.
Trump spoke about the bruising himself. “I clipped it on the table,” he told CNN’s Samatha Waldenberg aboard Air Force One. “I put a little — what do they call it? — cream on it. But I clipped it.”
Limp
X users have started calling the president’s ankles “cankles” -Credit:AFP via Getty Images
Videos of Trump limping slightly and leaning on podiums and other structures for support when he walks have gone viral.
An anti-Trump X account, Call to Activism, shared a video of Trump walking down a runway toward the press at his Mar-a-Lago New Year’s Eve party, which allegedly shows him “dragging his right leg.” The account, with over a million followers, wrote, “Trump just showed up at Mar-a-Lago to celebrate New Year’s, dragging his right leg, and quickly adjusted his walk when he realizes the cameras were on. What’s Trump hiding?”
“It’s pretty obvious he is dragging his right leg. If Biden had done that every news station would have this video up all day all time about his health,” wrote another user.
Trump has also frequently been chastised for what internet users call “cankles.”
In July, the White House announced that President Trump has a chronic venous insufficiency. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt disclosed that the President had undergone a “comprehensive exam,” which included vascular testing, following an episode of leg swelling.
In a September statement from Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, it was declared that the President is “perfectly fine and has a tremendous amount of energy”. She told CNN, “The made-up speculation online is crazy and baseless, and it’s clearly being pushed by Democrat activists and left-wing lunatics.”
“What the hell is this new rash on Trump’s neck??? Bruising on his hands, swollen ankles, rashes on his neck… it’s getting bad,” political content creator Harry Sisson wrote on X.
