Trump Returns to Walter Reed for Routine Medical and Dental Exams

President Donald Trump is set to visit Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Tuesday for his routine annual dental and medical assessments, the White House announced. This will be his third in-person doctor’s appointment at Walter Reed in just over a year, following visits in April and October of last year. The White House described the upcoming trip as part of his regular preventative healthcare and noted that the president will also meet with service members and staff during the visit.

Trump, who will turn 80 next month and is the oldest person to assume the presidency, routinely asserts that he is in excellent health. Despite this, questions about his health have persisted, fueled by moments of apparent drowsiness and a bruised hand. The White House has attributed the bruising to handshaking and taking aspirin.

In July, the White House disclosed that Trump has chronic venous insufficiency, a common venous disease where damaged veins in the legs impair blood flow back to the heart. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, the condition is not a serious health threat but can be painful and disabling. Dr. Sean Barbabella, the president’s physician, stated that examinations have found no evidence of more serious conditions such as deep vein thrombosis or arterial disease, and that Trump remains in “excellent” overall health.

During an interview with The Wall Street Journal published in January, Trump said, “aspirin is good for thinning out” his blood and that he does not want “thick blood pouring through [his] heart.”

The October visit to Walter Reed was described by the White House as both a “routine yearly checkup” and a “follow-up” examination, six months after an April annual physical. Trump told reporters he had undergone an MRI, but it was later clarified that the exam was a CT scan of his heart and abdomen. Dr. Barbabella said in a statement that the president agreed to advanced imaging to definitively rule out any cardiovascular issues. The CT scan results were normal, showing no abnormalities.

Following the April 2023 visit, Barbabella reported that Trump “remains in excellent health, exhibiting robust cardiac, pulmonary, neurological and general physical function.” He added that the president’s days include multiple meetings, public appearances, press availability, and frequent victories in golf events.

In addition to his Walter Reed visits, Trump has attended dental appointments in West Palm Beach twice this year, first in January and then again earlier this month for a follow-up. It is not immediately clear why the president has an annual dental examination.

While presidents have access to medical care at the White House, they typically visit Walter Reed for more extensive examinations. Trump’s upcoming visit continues this pattern of routine health monitoring as he approaches his 80th birthday.