President Donald Trump hit back at critics who questioned his health, saying The Wall Street Journal in an interview published Thursday that he denies falling asleep in meetings and is taking a higher dose of aspirin than his doctors recommended.
“They say aspirin is a good blood thinner, and I don't want thick blood pouring through my heart,” Trump told the magazine, attributing this to often visible bruises on his hands—and on the makeup he uses to hide them—due to the medicine. “I take the bigger one, but I’ve been doing this for years and it causes bruising.”
Trump's doctor, Navy Capt. Sean Barbabella, told the magazine in a statement that the president takes 325 milligrams of aspirin a day to “prevent cardiovascular disease.”
Aspirin acts as an anticoagulantdesigned to prevent blood clots. Blood clots that travel to the heart can lead to heart attacks. The medicine may also increase a person's risk of bleeding because it prevents blood clots from forming in wounds.
The 79-year-old president, who in January 2025 became the oldest person ever sworn in to the nation's top office, spent more time last year than he would have liked. protecting your strength and vitality. Besides the bruises, he has seems to have fallen asleep during meetings. White House also revealed in October that he had undergone an extended torso scan, which led to speculation about the reason for the diagnostic measures.
“Looking back, it’s a shame that I took it because it gave them some ammunition,” Trump told the magazine, describing the CT scan he was given. In October he said it was an MRI. “I would have been a lot better off if they didn't do that because the fact that I took it said, 'Oh, is something wrong?' Well, it's okay.
“President Trump agreed to meet with Walter Reed Medical Hospital staff and soldiers in October. To make the most of the President's time in the hospital, we recommended that he undergo another routine medical examination to ensure continued optimal health,” Barbabella said in a statement to NBC News. “As part of this examination, we asked the president whether he would undergo advanced imaging – an MRI or a CT scan – to definitively rule out any cardiovascular problems. The President agreed, and our team of consultants performed a CT scan. As we found out in the post-examination report, advanced imaging was completely normal and showed absolutely no abnormalities.”
“President Trump's medical examinations and laboratory results continue to show excellent metabolic health and have shown that his cardiovascular health makes him 14 years younger than his age,” Barbabella said. “Overall, the President remains in exceptional health and is ideally suited to carry out his duties as commander in chief.”
White House press secretary Caroline Leavitt defended reports of the procedures, saying “the president's doctors and the White House have always maintained that the president received advanced imaging.”
“Additional details of the image were revealed by the President himself as he continues to be the most transparent and open President in history,” Leavitt added, being former President Joe Biden.
Barbabella also told the magazine that Trump has a condition called “superficial chronic venous insufficiency” that caused swelling in his lower legs earlier this year.
Trump said in an interview that he wore compression socks to combat the problem, but gave them up because “I didn't like them.”
The president and his aides may be especially sensitive to questions related to his age and health as Biden has been undermined by clear signs of decline during the 2024 presidential contest. Ultimately Biden dropped out of school race, but remained as president after poor debate performance against Trump.
Trump now finds it necessary to combat the perception that age is taking a toll on his presidency, and it appears to irritate him.
“Let's talk about health again for the 25th time,” Trump told the magazine. “My health is perfect.”
At the same time, Trump said he had asked his aides to limit his schedule – a move Biden has taken as he tries to keep his candidacy alive in 2024 – so he can focus more on the most important meetings. The magazine reported that Trump begins his day in the Oval Office around 10 a.m. and usually works until 7 or 8 p.m.
Trump, known for his love of golf, told the newspaper that he does not play sports other than training sessions, which he does on the courses.
“I just don't like it. It's boring,” Trump said. “Walking on a treadmill or running on it for hours, like some people do, is not for me.”
Despite a series of episodes in which he appeared to fall asleep – dating back to his 2024 trial in New York – Trump suggested that at times he was simply resting his eyes, including a recent Cabinet meeting where he was caught on video.
“I'll just finish. It's very relaxing for me,” he said. “Sometimes they take pictures of me blinking and blinking and they catch me blinking.”
