Trump Undergoes Annual Health Check-up, First Update in Years

Photo: Reuters

Former U.S. President Donald Trump went for his yearly physical examination on Friday. This is a routine check-up that doctors do to make sure a person is healthy. It’s also the first full health update from Trump in a long time — including details about his body and brain health.

Trump is now 78 years old. In January, he became the oldest person in U.S. history to be sworn in as president. Before going for the check-up, Trump posted on his social media, saying, “I have never felt better, but these things must be done!”

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He also shared that he took a test to check his thinking and memory skills and said, “I got every answer right.”

The exact length of his check-up was not shared with the media. He didn’t speak to reporters before or after the visit. But he spent over five hours at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. After the check-up, he got on Air Force One to fly to Florida for the weekend.

Even though Trump has often questioned President Joe Biden’s health, he himself has not always been open about his own medical details. Usually, presidents share their health updates clearly and openly. But Trump has often kept things short and vague. Based on past updates, many believe this one might also be positive but without too many details.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that Trump’s check-up had been planned for a long time and was just a regular health exam. She said a report from the president’s doctor would be shared “as soon as possible” and it would give full information. She added, “I can confirm the president is in very good shape.” She also said that Trump didn’t need to go under general anesthesia during the check-up.

First Official Health Update After Assassination Attempt

This report will be the first official health update since someone tried to assassinate Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania last July.

At that time, Trump didn’t release a full medical report. Instead, Texas Representative Ronny Jackson — who was once Trump’s White House doctor and is now a strong supporter — wrote a note. He said Trump had been shot in his right ear. Jackson once joked that Trump could live to be 200 years old if he ate a little healthier.

Later, in an interview with CBS in August, Trump said he would be happy to release his medical records. But those records were never made public.

Trump is three years younger than Biden. But on the day he began his second term in January, he was five months older than Biden was when Biden became president in 2021. So, Trump is now the oldest president ever to take the oath of office.

Presidents, like all people, have the right to keep their medical records private. But in recent years, most presidents have shared updates about their health during yearly check-ups. Still, there have been times in history when big health issues were hidden — like in 1919, when President Woodrow Wilson had a serious stroke that was kept secret.

Trump usually shares only small pieces of health information. Before Jackson’s memo, the last update was in November 2023. That update came on Biden’s 81st birthday, when Dr. Bruce A. Aronwald released a letter saying Trump was in “excellent” physical and mental health.