US President Donald Trump will undergo his annual physical at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on 26 May, the White House confirmed on Monday, as two unscheduled dental visits and a poll showing most Americans doubt his physical health put growing pressure on the administration to address fitness concerns about the 79-year-old commander-in-chief.
The exam will include 'routine annual dental and medical assessments as part of regular preventive healthcare,' according to the White House statement. Trump will also meet with military service members and staff at the Bethesda, Maryland facility.
Two Off-Schedule Dental Visits Draw Scrutiny
The announcement follows two trips to a Florida dentist on 10 January and 2 May that were not listed on the president's public schedule. The second visit took place on a Saturday afternoon after Trump left his Jupiter golf club, and it drew immediate questions from medical professionals.
Dr Jonathan Reiner, a cardiologist, CNN medical analyst, and former physician to late Vice President Dick Cheney, pointed out on X that the White House has maintained its own dental operatory since the Hoover administration. Former President Joe Biden had a root canal performed in that same facility.
There’s been such lack of candor about the health of the president that even a visit to the dentist raises questions. The WH has a dental operatory (Pres Biden had a root canal there) so why a Sat morning visit in Florida? Maybe he just likes this dentist. https://t.co/MNX1mRsVsA
— Jonathan Reiner (@JReinerMD) May 3, 2026
'There's been such lack of candor about the health of the president that even a visit to the dentist raises questions,' Reiner wrote. He has also called for Congress to pass legislation requiring the White House physician to periodically certify a president's fitness for office through annual physical, cognitive, and psychiatric evaluations.
Poll Shows Majority Question Trump's Physical Health
Public confidence in the president's fitness has been slipping. A Washington Post/ABC News/Ipsos poll conducted from 24 to 28 April found that 55% of Americans don't believe Trump is in good enough physical health to serve effectively. The same survey showed that 59% said he lacks the mental sharpness the role demands.
Both figures represent the highest levels of doubt recorded in ABC/Post/Ipsos polling since 2023. Trump, who turns 80 on 14 June, is the oldest person ever inaugurated as US president.
Trump Pushes Mandatory Cognitive Testing
The president has spent weeks publicly discussing his own cognitive abilities. On 30 April, he posted on Truth Social that 'anybody running for President or Vice President should be forced to take a Cognitive Examination prior to entering the Race,' while claiming he had 'aced' such tests three times during what he called his 'three terms' in office.
The post also took aim at former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden, whom Trump argued would not have won their elections had cognitive screening been required.
Will the White House Release a Full Medical Summary?
The White House has not confirmed whether Trump's physician will issue a public medical summary after the 26 May exam. That silence will likely determine whether the visit calms or deepens the ongoing debate about the president's health.
Trump's last widely reported full physical took place in April 2025, when White House physician Navy Captain Sean Barbabella described him as being in 'excellent health' and 'fully fit' to serve as commander-in-chief. A follow-up visit in October 2025, which the White House initially called a 'routine yearly checkup' before Trump re-branded it a 'semiannual physical,' included a CT scan that showed no cardiovascular abnormalities.
Yikes! Both of Trump's hands are discolored today and one of them appears bruised as well
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 6, 2026
(Anna Moneymaker/Getty) pic.twitter.com/IZEw3j1JzD
More recently, photographs showing bruising and discolouration on both of Trump's hands have added to questions about his well-being. The White House has attributed the marks to daily aspirin use and frequent handshaking.
With a war in Iran, a volatile economy, and midterm elections six months away, the pressure on the administration to deliver a transparent health update on 26 May won't be easy to dismiss.
