As Signs of Aging Emerge, Trump Responds With Defiance

WASHINGTON—President Trump is taking more aspirin than his doctors recommend. He briefly tried wearing compression socks for his swelling ankles, but stopped because he didn’t like them. And he regrets undergoing advanced imaging because it generated scrutiny of his health.

“The White House Doctors have just reported that I am in ‘PERFECT HEALTH,’ and that I ‘ACED’ (Meaning, was correct on 100% of the questions asked!), for the third straight time, my Cognitive Examination, something which no other President, or previous Vice President, was willing to take,” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform.

(FILES) US President Donald Trump attends a Cabinet Meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, DC on December 2, 2025. Trump blamed aspirin for large bruises on his hand and denied falling asleep while attending public meetings in an interview with The Wall Street Journal published on January 1, 2026. In the interview defending his health, Trump also changed his previous statement about receiving an MRI scan in October, saying it was instead a quicker CT scan. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP)

The Wall Street Journal on Thursday published an interview with Trump — who at 79 is the oldest person to assume the US presidency — in which he blamed aspirin for large bruises on his hand and denied falling asleep during televised meetings.

Trump also changed his previous statement about receiving an MRI scan in October, saying it was instead a quicker CT scan.

Trump has based much of his political image on projecting vigor — whether through his frequent interactions with journalists, constant social media posting, or AI memes depicting him as a superhero

However, the first year of his second term in office has raised growing questions.

His right hand shows persistent bruising, often covered with thick makeup and at times a bandage, and his ankles have appeared swollen.

(FILES) A view of the hand of US President Donald Trump as he greets South Korean President Lee Jae Myung as he arrives at the West Wing entrance of the White House in Washington, DC, on August 25, 2025. Trump blamed aspirin for large bruises on his hand and denied falling asleep while attending public meetings in an interview with The Wall Street Journal published on January 1, 2026. In the interview defending his health, Trump also changed his previous statement about receiving an MRI scan in October, saying it was instead a quicker CT scan. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP)

On occasion, Trump has clearly struggled to keep his eyes open, including during an Oval Office meeting with health representatives in November.

Trump told the Journal that he wasn’t dozing, just relaxing.  “I’ll just close. It’s very relaxing to me,” he said. “Sometimes they’ll take a picture of me blinking, blinking, and they’ll catch me with the blink.”

In his post on Friday, Trump added that any presidential or vice presidential candidate should be required to take a “strong, meaningful, and proven” cognitive exam.  “Our great Country cannot be run by ‘STUPID’ or INCOMPETENT PEOPLE!” he wrote.

It was a swipe at his predecessor Joe Biden, the oldest president in US history, who dropped out of the 2024 election after a disastrous debate performance raised concerns about the Democrat’s age and apparent decline.