Donald Trump well being thriller deepens as recent bruises seem on arms throughout chaotic speech

This week, President Donald Trump triumphantly marked the one-year anniversary of his return to the White House – but his confidence has done nothing to alleviate ongoing questions about the 79-year-old’s health, reignited following the release of yet more worrying photographs.

During a ceremony held yesterday (January 22) for his ‘Board of Peace’, POTUS could once again be seen with a large blue bruise on his left hand, stretching from the knuckle of his middle finger right the way down to the base of his thumb.

Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has claimed the bruise, which seemingly developed over the course of 10 minutes or so, was caused by the President knocking his hand on the table at the signing event. Leavitt has previously stated that Trump’s bruising was caused by “tissue damage from frequent handshaking”; however, this, notably, isn’t the hand that the US leader shakes with.

It has also been claimed that Trump is more susceptible to bruising as he takes daily aspirin tablets, while a pharmacist has also previously advised the Mirror that Trump’s age could be a significant factor here. Pharmacist and health expert Thorrun Govind said, “Our skin becomes more fragile as we get older. In most cases, it isn’t serious, but repeated or unexplained bruising should be checked.

“As we get older, the skin becomes thinner and loses some of the protective fat that cushions blood vessels underneath. Small blood vessels can break more easily. This means even a minor knock can lead to noticeable bruising, particularly on areas like the hands and arms.”

This, however, wasn’t the only health concern those watching the speech had, with a number expressing concerns over his mental competency.

On four separate occasions during his World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, Trump mistook Greenland for Iceland. Trump, who claims to want control over Greenland despite this apparent confusion, said: “[NATO is] not there for us on Iceland, that I can tell you. I mean, our stock market took the first dip yesterday because of Iceland. So Iceland has already cost us a lot of money. But that dip is peanuts compared to what it’s gone up.”

Apparently not noticing his own mistake, POTUS later added, “I’m helping Europe. I’m helping NATO. And until the last few days, when I told them about Iceland, they loved me.” Trump’s mental competence had been questioned a number of times over similar mistakes, with psychologist and former Johns Hopkins professor Dr John Gartner previously revealing that the president exhibits “the classic signs of dementia” in his often rambling speeches.

Speaking with PennLive last year, Dr Gartner explained: “Basically, what we see are the classic signs of dementia, which is gross deterioration from someone’s baseline and function. That’s very important because one of the areas that we can most physically see this is in his verbal productions.

“If you go back and look at film from the 1980s, he actually was extremely articulate. He was still a jerk, but he was able to express himself in polished paragraphs, and now he really has trouble completing a thought, and that is a huge deterioration.”

This isn’t the first time Trump’s health has been the subject of intense debate and conjecture. The septugenarian president has been spotted with bruises on his hands and swollen ankles, while sharp-eyed observers have picked up on several clues during his public appearances that hint at potentially more serious health concerns.

Despite this, his doctor recently issued an update on Trump’s health, asserting that his heart age is approximately 14 years younger than his actual age. However, despite this positive health report and the White House’s repeated attempts to quash the rumours, peculiar incidents have left some sceptical about the President’s overall health….

Signs of ‘slowing down’

Speculation over the US President’s health ramped up towards the end of 2025, after onlookers noted changes suggesting he may have been advised to lighten his workload. Trump then lambasted The New York Times in November for its article scrutinising his health and age.

After the story broke, countless people weighed in on the leader’s health, with some suggesting a “subtle” shift in the president’s diary hints he’s been advised to take things easier as he ages. Despite his protestations, doubts linger about what’s behind his changed timetable.

Nicholas, who operates News from Nic’s Kitchen on TikTok, drew attention to the matter on social media. In a clip, he said: “So, more questions about Donald Trump’s health have come up again today, folks. There’s been a report which has exposed Donald Trump’s reduced schedule.

“So, The New York Times have done an investigation, and they found out that Donald Trump has cut almost 40 per cent of events compared to his first term. Trump’s day usually starts at about 1pm, and he’s usually finished and done by around 4pm.

“He’s often seen to be nodding off, dozing off, that kind of thing. It’s been noted on television and the camera, as you might be aware. The source for this is The New York Times.”

‘Nodding off’

Political observers were baffled when clips surfaced of Trump apparently falling asleep during a chaotic early November press briefing. A White House visitor also fainted behind the US President whilst he was announcing cheaper weight loss medication in America.

Fortunately, he was grabbed by two people standing nearby, and Trump subsequently confirmed that the gentleman was “fine”. Trump stole the limelight in the disastrous conference as viewers thought he appeared to be dozing off just as government official Dr Mehmet Oz declared, “People can sleep again.”

One viewer commented, “He looks like he is out cold. Could you imagine what Republicans would say if Joe [Biden] had a press conference and did this?”

Hand marks

Images of Trump’s hands have ignited major health concerns during his presidency, with dark marks appearing and disappearing. The bruise-like marks have sometimes seemingly been covered with foundation makeup, leading to speculation that he might be receiving intravenous treatment.

However, the White House has insisted that the bruising was caused by a combination of “frequent handshaking” and his use of aspirin. A letter from his doctor, Dr Sean Barbarella, previously clarified: “This is consistent with minor soft tissue irritation from frequent handshaking and the use of aspirin, which is taken as part of a standard cardiovascular prevention regimen.”

Trump’s Asymmetrical Face

The President’s public appearance at a ceremony honouring 9/11 victims raised health concerns, with striking photographs and video from the Pentagon event revealing his face appeared lopsided. A drooping mouth on one side is a classic sign of a stroke, though Trump seemed otherwise well when the images were captured.

He departed the ceremony and has since been seen at several public events without the same drooping appearance, though it has sparked concern among certain onlookers. One worried social media user posted: “This is President Donald Trump’s drooping face. People are worried about his health. We pray for him.”

Another observer commented: “Either Trump has just been to the dentist or had a TIA (transient ischemic attack) affecting the right side of his face. He sounds very tired.”

Gripping the lectern

Shortly before those facial photographs were captured, the President was spotted on stage addressing a gathered audience, clutching and leaning heavily on the lectern for stability, apparently bracing himself. This behaviour prompted some to speculate that Trump may have been “extremely tired”.

The president’s ankles

Right throughout 2025, observers have noticed a worrying detail during Trump’s public appearances – the President’s swollen ankles, which seem to bulge over his footwear. This observation triggered speculation that reached the White House, with the President’s physician disclosing in a letter that Trump has been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, a widespread condition amongst those aged over 70.

Following a “comprehensive examination, including diagnostic vascular studies”, Barbarella determined: “Bilateral lower extremity venous Doppler ultrasounds were performed and revealed chronic venous insufficiency, a benign and common condition, particularly in individuals over the age of 70.”

Periods of public absence

While Trump’s numerous eccentric public appearances have raised eyebrows, his unexplained absences have also set off alarm bells. In August, the typically media-loving President went completely off the radar over the Labour Day weekend, fuelling wild rumours that he may have passed away.

The hashtags #trumpisdead and #whereistrump spread like wildfire on X throughout the extended weekend, while millions tuned into TikToks speculating about a potential medical crisis. When the President finally re-emerged, looking noticeably more worn out, he was confronted with questions about the trending hashtag.

He claimed ignorance of the viral trend and promptly brushed off the “reports” as “fake news”.

Ramblings

While concerns about Trump’s physical health have recently taken centre stage in discussions about his well-being, his mental sharpness has also come under the microscope following a series of patently false claims. One such statement was made in mid-July when he recounted a conversation with his late uncle, Dr John Trump, an engineer and senior researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Trump insisted that his uncle had tutored Ted Kaczynski, infamously known as the Unabomber. He recalled: “I said: ‘What kind of a student was he, Uncle John? Dr John Trump’. I said: ‘What kind of a student?’ And then he said: ‘Seriously, good.’ He said: ‘He’d correct – he’d go around correcting everybody.’ But it didn’t work out too well for him.”

However, this claim is demonstrably false, as Dr Trump passed away in 1985, a full nine years before Kaczynski was unmasked as the Unabomber. Furthermore, Kaczynski never studied at MIT; he attended Harvard University before moving to the University of Michigan, where he completed his PhD.

His behaviour when faced with questions about his health also raised questions towards the end of last year, when he launched another attack on a female journalist. The president caused fury when he hurled a crude insult at reporter Catherine Lucey in November, branding her a “piggy” and ordering her to be “quiet” after she questioned him about the Epstein Files.

Then, in December, POTUS embarked on yet another tirade, targeting a second woman in journalism within mere weeks. The US leader faced questions about an MRI scan following calls from Minnesota Governor Tim Walz for the results to be made public.

Addressing journalists aboard Air Force One on Sunday, Trump declared of his results: “They were perfect like my phone call where I got impeached. Absolutely perfect. If you want to have it released, I’ll release it.” He was referencing a telephone conversation he had with Ukrainian leader Zelensky prior to his impeachment over claims he inappropriately solicited assistance from Ukraine to boost his re-election prospects. Ultimately, the president was acquitted on both charges at trial.

The Republican was then pressed by CBS News’ Weija Jiang about the specifics of his MRI, to which he responded with a scathing retort. “I have no idea. It was just an MRI. It wasn’t the brain because I took a cognitive test and aced it. I got a perfect mark, which you would be incapable of doing,’ Trump said, pointing straight at the newswoman. He then wrapped up the press conference, bidding “goodbye everybody” before singling out another female reporter with a curt “you too”.

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