Fresh questions surrounding President Donald Trump’s health are intensifying after reports revealed he is returning to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for the third time in just 13 months.
According to reports, Trump is scheduled to undergo both medical and dental evaluations Tuesday as scrutiny surrounding his physical condition continues growing both publicly and politically.
The latest hospital visit comes amid increasing speculation surrounding visible bruising, swelling and red marks that have repeatedly appeared on the 79-year-old president during recent public appearances.
Photographs from recent events have shown bruising on Trump’s hands, swelling around his ankles and red rashes along parts of his neck, prompting renewed debate about the White House’s handling of presidential health disclosures.
Trump previously visited Walter Reed in April 2025 for his annual physical before returning again in October for what the administration described as a “scheduled follow-up.”
Now, with a third visit scheduled less than a year later, critics and some former White House physicians are openly questioning whether the administration is being fully transparent about the president’s health.
The issue is especially politically sensitive because Trump made mental and physical fitness a major focus of the 2024 election campaign, repeatedly attacking former President Joe Biden over concerns regarding age and cognitive decline.
Recent polling now suggests some of those same concerns are beginning to shift toward Trump himself.
According to a Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll referenced in the report, only 40% of Americans now believe Trump possesses the mental sharpness necessary to serve as president, down seven points from last September.
On physical fitness, the numbers were even weaker, with just 44% saying Trump remains physically fit for office.
Trump has consistently dismissed concerns about his health, repeatedly insisting he remains in “excellent health” and claiming he feels better than he did decades ago.
The president has specifically blamed the bruising on his hands on daily aspirin use, which can increase bruising and bleeding risks, especially in older adults.
He has also denied accusations that he appeared to be falling asleep during Cabinet meetings or public events, insisting instead that he was simply listening with his eyes closed.
Still, former White House physicians and medical experts are increasingly voicing frustration about what they describe as limited transparency from the administration.
“This White House just doesn’t seem to want to acknowledge any physical ailment,” said Jonathan Reiner.
“There just seems to be a lack of candor from the White House,” he added.
Former presidential physician Jeffrey Kuhlman also criticized the administration for failing to release more precise information regarding Trump’s condition.
“After a decade of delusion, deceit, denial or delay from the administrations and White House physicians regarding presidential evaluations, my expectation bar is pretty low,” Kuhlman said.
Trump’s health team and allies, however, continue defending the president aggressively.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently claimed television personality Mehmet Oz reviewed Trump’s medical records and concluded the president possesses unusually high testosterone levels for a man over 70 years old, per the Daily Mail.
The White House has also forcefully pushed back against online rumors regarding Trump’s health in recent months, including viral speculation earlier this year falsely claiming the president had been urgently rushed to Walter Reed during Middle East tensions.
At the time, the administration accused critics and media outlets of spreading conspiracy theories while Trump was allegedly conducting national security operations from the White House Situation Room.
Still, with another hospital visit now looming and visible physical concerns continuing to circulate publicly, scrutiny surrounding Trump’s health is unlikely to disappear anytime soon.
