President Donald Trump will complete his annual physical exam next month at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, according to a statement emailed to Newsweek on Saturday that was issued by the White House communications team but was attributed to Dr. Sean Barbabella, the president’s physician.
The Context
Trump, 78, has previously placed great emphasis on his physical health, especially during last year’s presidential election cycle, in which he first contrasted himself against the older former President Joe Biden, and then against the much younger former Vice President Kamala Harris.
Trump started his second term as the oldest person inaugurated as president, at 78 years and 220 days old, with Biden right behind him at 78 years and 61 days old. The next oldest person to be sworn in as president was Trump during his first term at 70 years and 220 days old in 2017.
Trump’s exams during his first administration raised concerns, especially near the end. His final annual physical in 2020 found him to be obese with elevated blood pressure. Navy Dr. Sean Conley, Trump physician at the time, however, declared the president “remains healthy” and had “no significant changes to report” from his previous annual physical.
The president is not required to release the results of his annual physical exam, according to the Associated Press. President Richard Nixon was the first modern president to publicize his medical exam, which has since then become customary practice.
President Donald Trump gestures as he steps off Air Force One after landing at the Palm Beach International Airport in West Palm Beach, Florida, on February 28.
Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images
What To Know
Trump appointed Barbabella, a decorated U.S. Navy captain with extensive combat trauma experience, earlier this week as his personal physician in a move that some analysts say highlights concerns about threats of violence against the president, according to The Times UK.
Trump survived two assassination attempts against him during last year’s election campaign.
Military doctors often serve as the president’s personal physician, but Barbabella, 55, lacks previous experience in the White House medical unit. Instead, he has a career specializing in emergency and tactical medicine with tours in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The exam includes standard physical tests such as blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, heart rate and weight. The exam does not necessitate cognitive nor psychiatric assessment, according to The Washington Post.
Trump does not drink alcohol or smoke, but he has a famous love of fast food. In a famous picture posted after Trump won last year’s election, he ate McDonald’s aboard his private jet along with Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., billionaire Elon Musk, and his eldest son Donald Trump Jr.
What Happens Next?
Barbabella said the date of the exam would be released publicly “in the next few weeks.”
Update, 3/1/25 at 12:47 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
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