Fresh health fears were sparked by photos of Donald Trump with severely swollen ankles at the FIFA Club World Cup on Sunday. Speculations about the US President’s health have intensified in recent days due what appeared to be multiple marks or sores seen on his right hand.
Trump and his wife Melania were present at the finals match at Metlife Stadium in New Jersey, where the commander-in-chief received a mix of cheers and boos on being displayed on the stadium screen. At the event, Trump was photographed from a head-on angle while he sat next to Melania, providing a frontal view of his shoes and ankles. Social media users were quick to notice that his ankles were swollen.
‘Of course they are hiding his true health condition’
An X user shared photos of Trump’s hand and ankles, captioning the post, “Swollen ankles at the World Cup. Bruised hand at today’s press availability. Is the Trump administration hiding the President’s health?”
Netizens weighed in in the comment section, with one user saying, “I looked at that picture before and said it was 2+ edema, but looking at it again it looks like 3+. He walks slumped over and sits in a way that looks like he is compensating for some breathing difficulty. Of course they are hiding his true health condition, they have to. The image that maga and Republicans have created for trump is that he is some miraculously virile 80 year old man with the health record of a 40 year old athlete. All of it is nonsense. His diet is for cr**, he has no exercise program to speak of, and his physical appearance tells a completely different story. He also looks like he has some skin health issues that should be looked into.” “He’s taking some of the most powerful meds available like he did for Covid. They can’t last forever,” one user suggested. Another said, “Looks like the site of an IV injection.”
“Yup I saw the ankles and that can be a sign of cardiac or BP sometimes chemo treatments, some medication too. I bet Trump falsified his health report.. well obviously did where he said he was 224 lbs and clearly that is not accurate just by looking at him,” one user wrote, while another said, “He prob takes a blood thinner for whatever cardiac condition he has and rammed his hand into a door or whatever and they put makeup on the cover it up so people don’t know he’s chronically ill”. One X user said, “Given the heightened scrutiny around the President’s health, any lack of transparency would be alarming. Regular, clear updates from medical professionals are crucial to avoid public confusion or concern about his well-being.”
WebMD states that venous insufficiency is a common cause of swollen ankles and feet. Sprains and fractures can also cause inflammation. Sitting or standing for a prolonged time can increase pressure in the lower extremities. Leg swelling could be a sign of deep vein thrombosis, congestive heart failure, or kidney or liver disease as well.