Americans are questioning whether or not President Donald Trump is healthy enough to serve in the Oval Office, according to a new poll. The findings come amid Trump’s recent unannounced dental procedure over the weekend, where he chose to visit his local dentist rather than use the on-site dentistry clinic at the White House.
The president was in Florida over the weekend to attend regional events, including a PGA tour game at his Doral golf club. On Saturday, a report from the White House press pool noted that Trump went to visit his local dentist in Florida for a scheduled appointment. Back in January, Trump made a similar visit to his Florida dentist, even though the White House has its own dental clinic on-site, USA TODAY reports.
Other presidents have used the White House operatory, including former President Joe Biden when he needed a root canal.
The Independent has asked the White House for comment.
Trump, who will turn 80 next month, has been the subject of numerous health-related issues. Earlier this year, bruising around Trump's hands drew speculation that he was suffering from some malady. There has been a constant stream of commentary concerning Trump's mental state since his return to the White House, not least driven by his social media posts. Presidential health trackers are also pointing to Trump's swollen ankles — photographed again during his weekend trip to Florida.
On Saturday, Trump was photographed with his son, Donald Trump Jr. His swollen ankles visible in the photos are likely the result of chronic venous insufficiency, which he was diagnosed with last July.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, "CVI damages those valves, causing blood to pool in your legs."
"This increases pressure in your leg veins and causes symptoms like swelling and ulcers," according to the hospital.
The American public has noticed Trump’s various medical issues, according to a new poll.
The findings from The Washington Post, ABC News, and Ipsos found that 59 percent of respondents don't believe that Trump has the mental acuity to serve as the president. Another 55 percent said they do not think he is physically healthy enough to carry out his presidential duties.
Last fall the poll asked the same question, and at that time only 45 percent of Americans believed Trump lacked the physical health to serve as president.
In January, Trump told the Wall Street Journal that he'd tried using compression socks to help treat the issue but stopped because he "did't like them."
Trump has made some unusual medical choices in the past. Most notable is his use of aspirin. Trump takes 325 milligrams of aspirin every day, according to the Daily Beast. That's four times the doctor-recommended dosage.
When asked why, Trump said it was because aspirin was “good for thinning out the blood, and I don’t want thick blood pouring through my heart."
Trump has previously blamed the bruising on his hands partly as a side effect of his aspirin use, while the White House previously explained it away by saying the discoloration was caused by frequent and vigorous handshaking.
Despite the continuous questions about his health, Trump has insisted he is perfectly healthy, both mentally and physically.
During a fundraising inner dinner earlier this year, Trump mentioned his former White House doctor, Ronny Jackson — who is now a Republican congressman from Texas — and said the physician told him he was "by far" the healthiest of the last three American presidents.
"He took a lot of heat for this," he said of Jackson. "They said, 'Who is the healthiest of the three?' He said, 'President Donald J Trump by far. If he didn't eat junk food, he'd live to 200 years old.' And I love this guy."
That list includes former President Barack Obama, who regularly played basketball and golfed — a pastime he shares with Trump — and whose weight remained around 180 pounds during his presidency.
In 2018, he told reporters that Trump's cardiac health was "excellent" and insisted that the president had good genes.
“He has incredible genes, I just assume," Jackson said, according to CNN.
Trump has also complained about footage of him closing his eyes for prolonged periods during press conferences in the Oval Office, saying photographers had caught him while he was blinking. He also told the Wall St Journal that he sometimes closed his eyes because “it’s very relaxing for me” and said that some meetings were “boring.”
One of Trump’s previous doctors, Harold Bornstein, gave the then-candidate a glowing health report in 2015, predicting that the Republican “will be the healthiest individual elected to the presidency.” Bornstein, who died in 2021, later claimed that Trump himself had written the report, telling CNN :”He dictated that whole letter. I didn’t write that letter. I just made it up as I went along.”
In 2021 it was claimed that Trump had been sicker than claimed when he was treated for Covid at Walter Reed Medical Center the previous year.
The next major medical milestone in Trump's career as president will likely be his annual checkup. He's almost a month overdue for his annual, which last took place on April 11, 2025.
US claims to sank six Iranian boats as Trump moves to reopen Strait of Hormuz
Judge says sorry to accused Correspondents’ Dinner gunman and makes Jan. 6 comparison
Trump cracks about leaving office in ‘8 or 9 years’ — a month shy of his birthday
Abortion drug access by telehealth restored by Supreme Court — for now
MAGA senator shredded meme of OJ Simpson as Elizabeth Warren with Spirit Airlines
Judge declines to immediately stop Trump’s takeover of DC golf course
