White House physician's verdict on Trump's health after chronic venous insufficiency diagnosis: ‘Abundance of caution'
The White House Medical Unit conducted a 'comprehensive examination' of Trump, 79, after recent photos showed him with swollen ankles and a bruised hand, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said at a press briefing, as reported by Bloomberg.
The ankle swelling is related to the disease, which occurs when damaged valves inside the veins struggle to keep blood flowing from the legs back to the heart. Leavitt called it a 'common condition, particularly in individuals over the age of 70.' The disorder affects about one in 20 adults, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
According to a report by Bloomberg, a subsequent memo from White House physician Sean Barbabella said doctors found 'no evidence of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or arterial disease' and that 'no signs of heart failure, renal impairment, or systemic illness were identified.'
'President Trump remains in excellent health,' Barbabella wrote.
Leavitt said Trump is experiencing 'no discomfort' related to his ankles and the president underwent the exam 'out of an abundance of caution' after noting the lower leg swelling. The exam included vascular studies, an echocardiogram and ultrasounds. Blood testing produced results 'within normal limits,' she added.
The hand bruising is 'consistent with minor soft tissue irritation from frequent hand-shaking' and is also 'a well-known and benign side effect of aspirin therapy,' Leavitt said. Trump is taking the medicine as part of a 'standard cardiovascular prevention regimen,' she said.
In January, Trump became the oldest individual ever sworn in as U.S. president, exceeding his predecessor Joe Biden.
Throughout the 2024 election, Trump frequently criticised the now 82-year-old Biden for his age and physical endurance. However, Trump ultimately exited the race following a disastrous debate performance that intensified concerns about his own fitness.
Meanwhile, images showing swelling in Trump's hands and ankles raised further questions about his personal health. The left foot and swollen ankle of President Donald Trump are pictured as he sits with Bahrain's Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa in the Oval Office of the White House, Wednesday, July 16, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Photos taken last weekend at the FIFA Club World Cup showed Trump's ankles appearing swollen inside his socks. Then on Tuesday, reporters noticed what seemed to be makeup covering marks on the president's hand as he left the White House for a trip to Pennsylvania.
(With inputs from Bloomberg)
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
28 minutes ago
- Time of India
Trump acknowledges "real starvation" in Gaza, vows to increase food aid
US President Donald Trump has acknowledged the severe hunger crisis in Gaza after months of largely deflecting questions on the issue, stating that the United States would increase food aid to the war-hit enclave, The New York Times reported. During a 75-minute press session with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Scotland on Monday, Trump pledged to "set up food centers" in Gaza, although he offered no specifics on how aid would reach the enclave that has faced more than 20 months of Israeli bombardment and aid restrictions. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category Healthcare Degree healthcare Public Policy Finance Data Science MBA Artificial Intelligence Leadership Technology Data Science Others Management Product Management Cybersecurity Project Management MCA others CXO Operations Management Skills you'll gain: Financial Analysis in Healthcare Financial Management & Investing Strategic Management in Healthcare Process Design & Analysis Financial Analysis in Healthcare Financial Management & Investing Strategic Management in Healthcare Process Design & Analysis Duration: 12 Weeks Indian School of Business Certificate Program in Healthcare Management Starts on Jun 13, 2024 Get Details Skills you'll gain: Financial Analysis in Healthcare Financial Management & Investing Strategic Management in Healthcare Process Design & Analysis Duration: 12 Weeks Indian School of Business Certificate Program in Healthcare Management Starts on Jun 13, 2024 Get Details "We're giving money and things," Trump said, adding, "I want to make sure they get the food, every ounce of food." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 10 Signs Your Dog Loves You More Than Anything Liseer Read More According to The New York Times, Trump's shift in tone came after meetings with several European leaders, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Starmer, who reportedly spoke of a "sense of revulsion" at the suffering in Gaza. "That's real starvation stuff, I see it, and you can't fake that," Trump said. "We have to get the kids fed." Live Events At least 56 Palestinians died from starvation this month alone, nearly half of the total deaths from hunger since the war began 22 months ago, the Gaza Health Ministry stated on Saturday. International agencies and medical experts have repeatedly warned that a famine is sweeping through the region due to Israel's tight restrictions on food and medicine. Earlier, Trump had drawn criticism for downplaying the humanitarian catastrophe, reportedly complaining that the United States had not received gratitude for the aid already provided. "Nobody said, 'Gee, thank you very much,'" Trump remarked on Sunday. "And it would be nice to have at least a thank you." During a meeting with von der Leyen, he called the crisis "not a U.S. problem, it's an international problem," while reiterating frustrations over a lack of recognition for America's contributions. The New York Times noted that his administration recently approved $30 million in funding for an Israeli-backed aid system in Gaza run mostly by American contractors. However, Trump's remarks on Monday marked a notable departure from his recent stance, as he criticised the existing distribution mechanisms and called for more accessible aid delivery. "We're going to set up food centers and where people can walk in and no boundaries. We're not going to have fences," he said. "They see the food. It's all there, but nobody's at it because they have fences set up that nobody can even get it. It's crazy what's going on over there." He added that Britain would support the United States in the new aid push. Trump also appeared to distance himself from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's recent claims that there was no starvation in Gaza. "I don't particularly agree with that, Trump said, adding, "The children look very hungry." Despite Trump's assertion that "no other nation gave money," The New York Times reported that the European Union had spent approximately $605 million on Gaza aid since 2023, according to the European Commission. The hunger crisis in Gaza has become one of the worst humanitarian emergencies in recent memory, with over two million Palestinians living amid widespread destruction and shortages of essential supplies. Trump's remarks have raised questions about whether his "America First" foreign policy can adapt to a crisis that demands multilateral humanitarian leadership, the New York Times noted.
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
39 minutes ago
- First Post
Why is the Trump administration destroying nearly $10 million worth of contraceptives?
The US has landed in soup following its decision to destroy women's contraceptives worth nearly $10 million. The decision has been condemned by doctors and aid groups alike, with some calling it a wasteful attack on women's rights read more Research has estimated that the USAID cuts will lead to the deaths of 14 million people by 2030. File image/AP The US administration's decision to destroy nearly $10 million worth of women's contraception products has sparked furious condemnation from doctors and aid groups, who have slammed the move as a wasteful attack on women's rights. The contraceptives are being stored in Belgium and are reportedly planned to be incinerated in France. Both European countries are under pressure to prevent the destruction. What has the US announced? On July 18, British newspaper The Guardian cited two US Congress sources as saying that President Donald Trump's administration planned to destroy $9.7 million worth of contraceptives, which are mostly long-acting, such as IUDs and birth control implants. The contraceptives — intended for some of the world's poorest countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa — are stored in a warehouse in the Belgian city of Geel. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD They are to be incinerated at the end of July, according to The Guardian report. A US State Department spokesperson told AFP this week that 'a preliminary decision was made to destroy certain' birth control products from 'terminated Biden-era USAID contracts'. Trump's administration dismantled USAID, the country's foreign aid arm, after returning to the White House in January, replacing President Joe Biden. The State Department spokesperson said the destruction will cost $167,000 and 'no HIV medications or condoms are being destroyed.' Why? The spokesperson pointed AFP to a policy that prohibits providing aid to non-governmental organisations that perform or promote abortions. The Mexico City Policy, which critics call the 'global gag rule', was first introduced by President Ronald Reagan in 1984 and has been reinstated under every Republican president since. The Trump administration has also slashed foreign aid, with the Senate this month approving a package that cut around $8 billion in international funding, much of it intended for USAID. Research has estimated that the USAID cuts will lead to the deaths of 14 million people by 2030. Doctors Without Borders called it a 'callous waste'. Pixabay Earlier this month, the US also incinerated nearly 500 metric tons of high-nutrition biscuits, which were meant to keep malnourished children in Afghanistan and Pakistan alive. Trump has also repeatedly moved to restrict abortion access in the United States, taking credit for the Supreme Court overturning the nationwide right to abortion in 2022. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The US State Department also suggested to the Guardian that the contraceptives were nearing the end of their shelf life. However, media reports have since said that the products expire between April 2027 and September 2031. What are the alternatives? Belgium's foreign ministry told AFP that it has 'initiated diplomatic efforts with the United States embassy in Brussels' about the contraceptives. The government 'is exploring all possible avenues to prevent the destruction of these products, including temporary relocation solutions,' it added. The international organisation MSI Reproductive Choices said it had offered to 'purchase, repackage, and manage logistics at our expense, ensuring the products reach those in need'. However, this offer was repeatedly rejected, it said in a statement. The International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) made a similar offer at 'no cost to the US government' that was also turned down. What are people saying? New Hampshire's Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen pointed to the Trump administration's stated goal of reducing government waste, saying the contraceptives plan 'is the epitome of waste, fraud and abuse'. Shaheen and Democratic Senator Brian Schatz have introduced a bill aiming to prevent further US aid from being wasted. The IPPF said the contraceptives plan is 'an intentional act of reproductive coercion'. Doctors Without Borders called it a 'callous waste'. MSI advocacy director Sarah Shaw said it was 'an ideological assault on reproductive rights, and one that is already harming women'. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The head of the French Family Planning group, Sarah Durocher, observed that last year, France became the first country to enshrine the right to abortion in its constitution. 'France has a moral responsibility to act,' she said. French Green leader Marine Tondelier signed an open letter calling on President Emmanuel Macron to stop the contraceptives from being destroyed. 'Our country cannot be complicit, even indirectly, in retrograde policies,' the letter read. Contacted by AFP, the office of the French presidency declined to comment.
Hindustan Times
6 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Famine Is Unfolding in Gaza Strip, Experts Say
The Gaza Strip is experiencing famine conditions, a group of global food-insecurity experts said, the most dire assessment of the enclave's deepening hunger crisis since the war began. 'The worst-case scenario of famine is currently playing out in the Gaza Strip,' said an interim report by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, or IPC, an initiative supported by the United Nations and major relief agencies. The job of IPC experts is to assess the risk of famine around the world. The interim report on Gaza released Tuesday doesn't constitute an official statement of famine—that requires a longer process—but it is the first time the group has described the food crisis there in such terms. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday said 'there is no policy of starvation in Gaza, and there is no starvation in Gaza.' President Trump later Monday said the U.S. and Europe would help deliver food directly to Palestinians in Gaza. 'Some of those kids—that's real starvation stuff, I see it. You can't fake that,' he said. The humanitarian situation has deteriorated significantly in recent weeks across the Gaza Strip, with residents often going full days without eating a meal and medical workers warning of rapidly rising malnutrition, especially among children. The IPC said at least 16 children under 5 have died of hunger-related causes since mid-July, compared with seven children the U.N. says died of hunger during the entire first half of the year. Suhair Salim, a 35-year-old from Gaza City, gave birth to a baby last week. She says she hasn't had meat in four months. For the past few days, all she has eaten is bread and water—not enough to produce sufficient breastmilk for her newborn. 'He doesn't get full,' Salim said by phone. 'His skin has turned yellow,' a possible symptom of malnutrition. The hunger crisis is compounding the human toll of a conflict that has already claimed more than 59,000 lives, according to Gaza health officials, who don't say how many were combatants. The IPC's latest comments on famine conditions come as Israel has faced mounting international pressure to do more to ensure food and other vital aid reach Gaza's more than two million people. In early March, Israel began a total blockade of the Gaza Strip, banning the entry of all aid and commercial goods. Israel said the move was meant to add pressure on Hamas as talks toward releasing hostages held by the group faltered. Supplies stockpiled during a cease-fire earlier in the year had largely run down by May. That month, Israel unveiled a new aid-distribution system backed by the U.S. and operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. Intended as an alternative to distribution by U.N. agencies, the GHF has been beset by problems from the start, from food running out at distribution sites to deadly shootings near them. Since launching its war in Gaza in response to attacks by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, Israel has imposed strict inspections and limits on what goods can enter the strip, hindering the delivery of food and other aid. Israel has blamed the U.N. and humanitarian agencies for not doing more to deliver aid. Humanitarian groups say Israel has impeded their work through delays in clearing aid for distribution and denial of movement. Write to Margherita Stancati at and Feliz Solomon at
