Donald Trump’s medical assessment was made public earlier this week, after the President said he had ‘passed perfectly’.
It marked his third examination within the past year, though he did not provide additional details. The 79-year-old has faced ongoing scrutiny about his wellbeing, particularly as he is now the oldest person to serve in the office.
On Friday (May 29), Trump’s physician reported that he was ‘in excellent health’ and that he demonstrated ‘strong cardiac, pulmonary, neurological, and overall physical function’.
The update also stated that Trump was ‘fully fit to carry out all duties of the Commander-in-Chief and Head of State,’ despite continued public concern.
Still, a repeated point of attention has been visible bruising on the President’s hands, which has appeared intermittently over the past year.
In recent remarks, press secretary Karoline Leavitt attributed bruising on Trump’s right hand to ‘shaking hands all day’.
“President Trump is a man of the people,” the White House Press secretary said, before adding: “President Trump has bruises on his hand because he’s constantly working and shaking hands all day every day.”
At the time, some observers speculated the marks could be linked to intravenous treatment.
In the newly released report, however, his physician, Capt. Sean Barbabella, said the bruising was ‘consistent with minor soft tissue irritation related to frequent handshaking in the setting of aspirin use for cardiovascular prevention’.
“This represents a common and benign effect of aspirin therapy,” the report read, alongside the note that ‘no suspicious lesions or concerning growths were identified’.
In the modern era, US presidents have generally had one medical examination per year.
The scope varies depending on the president, but typically includes standard screenings such as blood and urine tests. In some cases, more extensive procedures may also be carried out, including X-Rays, the Miami Herald states.
Even so, the frequency of Trump’s recent checkups has raised questions. Jacob Appel, a professor at the Icahn School of Medicine and a historian of presidential health, told McClatchy News it is ‘rare but not unheard of’ for a leader to have more than one checkup ‘without a specific medical cause’.
“More than one medical checkup for a seventy-nine-year-old man serving as president does not strike me as unreasonable,” he added.
There is no legal obligation for a president to publish medical information, though many have chosen to release updates historically.
The report arrives as Trump’s approval rating has dropped to a new low, sitting at 34%, according to a YouGov poll.