U.S. President Donald Trump said he is in “perfect” health and fully capable of carrying out his duties, addressing renewed public scrutiny over his age and physical condition in a wide-ranging interview with The Wall Street Journal.
At 79, Trump is the oldest president ever inaugurated, and questions about his health have intensified as he begins his second term. In the interview, Trump pushed back against speculation, expressing frustration with what he described as repeated public debate over his physical fitness.
“Let’s talk about health again for the 25th time,” Trump said at the start of what the newspaper described as an impromptu phone call ahead of publication.
Trump told the Journal he has taken 325 milligrams of aspirin daily for roughly 25 years—four times the 81-milligram dose often recommended for long-term preventive use—despite acknowledging that it causes him to bruise easily.
“They say aspirin is good for thinning out the blood, and I don’t want thick blood pouring through my heart,” Trump said, adding that doctors have suggested a lower dose. “They’d rather have me take the smaller one.”
Still, he said he was reluctant to change a long-standing routine. “I’m a little superstitious,” he said.
According to the Mayo Clinic, daily aspirin therapy can help reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in some patients, but the risk of bleeding increases with age. Recommended doses typically range between 75 and 325 milligrams, depending on individual risk factors.
Trump also clarified comments he previously made about undergoing medical imaging last year. He told the Journal that he received a CT scan at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in October, not an MRI as he had earlier told reporters. “It wasn’t an MRI,” Trump said. “It was less than that. It was a scan.”
His physician, Navy Capt. Sean Barbabella, said in a statement provided to the Journal that the CT scan was conducted “to definitively rule out any cardiovascular issues” and showed no abnormalities.
The president said he does not engage in regular exercise beyond playing golf, describing workouts such as treadmill running as unappealing. “I just don’t like it. It’s boring,” Trump said. “That’s not for me.”
Trump confirmed he had been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, a common condition among older adults that can cause swelling in the legs. Although he was advised to wear compression socks, he said he chose not to.
“I didn’t like them,” he said, adding that standing and moving around more frequently during the day has helped reduce swelling.
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Trump also denied claims that he has difficulty hearing or that he has fallen asleep during public events. He said moments when he appeared to have his eyes closed were intentional. “I close my eyes sometimes because it’s relaxing,” he said.
Addressing photographs showing bruising on his hands, Trump said the marks were sometimes the result of being struck accidentally during public interactions. He said he now carries makeup to conceal them when needed. “I have makeup that’s easy to put on,” he said. “It takes about 10 seconds.”
He also dismissed suggestions that he was nodding off in photos, saying, “Sometimes they’ll take a picture of me blinking—and they’ll catch me with the blink.”
Barbabella said in his statement that Trump is in “exceptional health and perfectly suited to execute his duties as Commander in Chief.”
The renewed focus on presidential health follows the 2024 campaign, during which Trump’s Democratic predecessor, Joe Biden, withdrew from the race after a debate performance intensified concerns about his age and mental sharpness.