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President Donald Trump will undergo what the White House is calling his “routine yearly checkup” Friday morning at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, just six months after his last full physical exam at the same facility.
The unusual timing has raised questions about why the president, 79, is receiving a second annual checkup — a matter the White House declined to clarify.
“On Friday morning, President Trump will visit Walter Reed Medical Center for a planned meeting and remarks with the troops,” press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement late Wednesday. “While there, President Trump will stop by for his routine yearly checkup. He will then return to the White House. President Trump is considering going to the Middle East shortly thereafter.”
The president’s potential trip comes as he moves to solidify a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, the first major breakthrough in two years of conflict in Gaza. White House officials have not confirmed whether the president’s health visit will affect his travel schedule.
Health history and past exams
Trump’s previous exam, conducted in April, showed no major health abnormalities, according to a summary released by the White House Medical Unit. The only notable findings included minor sun damage and scarring on his right ear from the July 2024 assassination attempt during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania.
Records from that visit also noted that Trump underwent a colonoscopy in July 2024, with a recommendation for a follow-up in 2027.
In recent months, reporters observed the president with swollen ankles and a bruised hand during public appearances, including at the FIFA Club World Cup. At the time, Leavitt said the president’s April exam results showed “normal health” and dismissed concerns about his physical condition.
However, that exam also revealed that the president has chronic venous insufficiency, a condition that can cause leg swelling and discomfort due to inefficient blood flow back to the heart.
According to medical experts at Johns Hopkins and the Cleveland Clinic, chronic venous insufficiency is common among older adults and can be managed through lifestyle adjustments or compression therapy.
Trump’s physician, Capt. Sean Barbabella, said the condition poses no serious risk. “There is no evidence of deep vein thrombosis or arterial disease,” he said, adding that the president remains in “excellent” overall health.
The White House has attributed Trump’s hand bruising to “the extensive handshaking that’s part of his job.”
Presidents are capable of receiving basic care at the White House Medical Office, but most undergo more comprehensive examinations and procedures at Walter Reed, which has long served as the premier medical facility for U.S. presidents.
Trump is expected to return to the White House following Friday’s visit before deciding whether to travel to the Middle East.
