Major Donald Trump health update as White House doctor releases bombshell statement

Donald Trump’s physician released a letter late on Friday (May 29) revealing his conclusions following the president’s visit to Walter Reed National Military Hospital. On Tuesday, the 79-year-old arrived at Walter Reed for his third known checkup since returning to the White House.

Describing it as a semi-annual physical, Mr Trump said on social media everything “checked out PERFECTLY,” however, the White House did not release a detailed summary until Friday. The letter from Sean Barbabella, a Navy captain who serves as the president’s physician, said that Mr Trump is in “excellent health”. Getting into the specifics, Captain Barbabella said his patient demonstrated “strong cardiac, pulmonary, neurological, and overall physical function”. He also cited the president’s “demanding daily schedule,” frequent “high-level meetings” and “regular physical activity”.

The letter added that Mr Trump, who turns 80 next month, weighs 238 pounds (108kg) and had a blood pressure of 105/71mmHg, compared to 224 pounds (102kg) and a blood pressure of 128/74mmHg at his physical last April. His blood pressure reading falls within the ideal target range of less than 120/80mmHg. His resting heart rate was 73 beats per minute. He is taking aspirin and the cholesterol control drugs rosuvastatin and ezetimibe.

Barbabella said Mr Trump is “fully fit to carry out all duties of the Commander-in-Chief and Head of State.”

Captain Barbabella added that he had provided the president with preventive care counselling, including guidance on diet, recommendations to take a low-dose aspirin, increased physical activity, and continued weight loss.

He noted “scarring of the right ear consistent with prior gunshot injury,” a reference to the 2024 shooting at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. The letter also says he has “soft tissue irritation” on his hands due to “frequent handshaking” and aspirin use – a common explanation the White House has given to account for the bruising on the president’s hands that is visible in some photos and often covered by makeup.

The doctor said the president had “slight lower leg swelling […] with improvement from last year.” Last summer, after Mr Trump was seen with swollen ankles, Captain Barbabella said he had a “benign and common” condition called chronic venous insufficiency – when a patient’s leg veins struggle to bring blood to the heart.

He added Mr Trump’s cardiac age is “approximately 14 years younger than his chronological age,” an estimate that Captain Barbabella also provided after the president’s October checkup.

He scored a 30 out of 30 – or “within normal limits” – on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment – a common test of cognitive health and one which the president has often boasted that he “aced” in previous years.