Trump completes ‘semiannual’ physical before traveling to Middle East

Donald Trump – the oldest person ever to be elected US president – had what he has described as a “semiannual physical” at the Walter Reed national military medical center on Friday.

The visit, which the White House announced earlier this week, comes as Trump is preparing to travel to the Middle East on the heels of a ceasefire deal in the Israel-Hamas war. The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, described it as a “routine yearly checkup”, although the president had his annual physical in April.

Trump left the White House at about 10.45am on Friday and returned to the grounds at 2.15pm, which was slightly ahead of schedule. He did not answer questions from reporters upon his arrival, and the White House has not indicated when it would release results or more information about his exams.

The White House declined to explain why Trump was getting a yearly checkup at Walter Reed, which is in Bethesda, Maryland, six months after his annual exam. But in an exchange with reporters on Thursday, the Republican president said it was a “semiannual physical”.

“I’m meeting with the troops, and I’m also going to do a, sort of, semiannual physical, which I do,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “I think I’m in great shape, but I’ll let you know.”

Trump’s April physical found that he was “fully fit” to serve as commander in chief. The three-page summary of the exam done by his doctor, navy Capt Sean Barbabella, said he had lost 20lb (9kg) since a medical exam in June 2020 and that he had an “active lifestyle” that “continues to contribute significantly” to the wellbeing of the president, who is 79.

Since his April exam, Trump was diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, a condition that can cause swelling, as the president has experienced in his legs and is common in older adults. Trump’s physician also addressed concern about bruising on the president’s hand, attributing it to irritation caused by frequent handshaking and his use of aspirin as a standard cardiovascular prevention regimen.

Recent images of a purplish bruise on Trump’s hand, which appeared to have been covered with makeup, fueled online speculation that the president was ill. When Leavitt discussed the results of his chronic venous insufficiency diagnosis from the briefing room, she noted that the White House was disclosing details of the checkup to dispel rumors about Trump’s health.

At the April physical, Trump also passed a short screening test to assess different brain functions.

Presidents have large discretion over what health information they choose to release to the public. Trump’s summary from his April exam included information about his weight, body mass index, past surgeries, mental health screenings, cholesterol levels and blood pressure. Trump’s previous medical reports typically produced a flattering report scarce on details.

Trump has long been cagey about his health, and concern about the president’s wellbeing stretches back to his first term. But wild rumors reached a fever pitch when the president faded from public view for several days over the summer, with critics and TikTok influencers speculating that the president was on his deathbed. “NEVER FELT BETTER IN MY LIFE!” Trump wrote at the time, in an assertion that only fueled suspicions of a cover-up.

Lauren Gambino contributed reporting