President Trump threatens to intervene in Iranian protests
President Donald Trump has threatened to intervene in Iran, where deadly civil unrest is brewing over the cost of living.
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump addressed mysterious bruises on his hands in a new interview, denying health concerns and saying the noticeable discoloration was due to taking too much aspirin.
Trump, the oldest president ever to hold office, also gave a candid interview with The Wall Street Journal about his health, denying he fell asleep during meetings, explaining why he doesn’t exercise, and saying he had a CT scan instead of an MRI as he had previously claimed.
“My health is perfect,” he told the newspaper.
Here are five takeaways from what the paper described as an “impromptu phone interview” that took place after the paper shared details of its reporting on President Trump’s health with the White House.
President Trump explains bruises on his hands and makeup
President Trump said he bruises easily because he takes large amounts of aspirin every day, and that he wears makeup to cover up the discoloration.
The president told the Journal that he takes 325 milligrams of aspirin a day for “cardiac prophylaxis,” more than his doctor’s recommendation. According to the Mayo Clinic, the most common low-dose aspirin is 81 milligrams.
“They say aspirin is good for thinning the blood, but I don’t want thick blood rushing into my heart,” Trump said. “I want thin, good blood flowing through my heart. Does that make sense?”
President Trump said he has been taking large doses of aspirin for 25 years and ignores his doctor’s advice to cut back because “I’m a little superstitious.”
The White House announced in July that Trump had been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, causing visible swelling in his lower legs near his ankles. This condition is common in people in their 70s and occurs when the veins in the legs have problems pumping blood back to the heart.
President Trump said he briefly wore compression socks to reduce swelling, but stopped wearing them because he didn’t like the socks.
Bleeding from delicate skin
Trump’s skin has become so sensitive that his hands began to bleed when Attorney General Pam Bondi cut him with a ring during a high-five with the president at the 2024 RNC convention in Milwaukee, the paper said.
President Trump acknowledged the incident in an interview, saying, “The ring hit the back of my hand, and yes, there was a little bit of a cut.”
The Journal reported that Bondi’s incident alarmed witnesses and was one of several instances in which his hand was severed.
In his first year as president, Trump has been seen multiple times with a bandage on the back of his right hand.
Deny falling asleep during a meeting
President Trump denied falling asleep, even though he closed his eyes during a recent White House event. Instead, he said, he closes his eyes to relax.
“Let’s call it a day. I’m very relaxed,” Trump said in an interview. “Sometimes they take pictures of me blinking and they capture me blinking.”
Trump often gets little sleep at night and is known for texting aides and posting on social media early in the morning. President Trump appeared to nod his head during a Dec. 2 Cabinet meeting with his secretaries and an announcement about weight loss pills in the Oval Office on Nov. 6.
Following the incident, White House staff encouraged him to keep his eyes open during public events, the paper said.
President Trump has long mocked former President Joe Biden for his age and physical strength, calling his 83-year-old predecessor “Sleepy Joe” while defending his own physical strength.
In a Jan. 2 post on Truth Social, President Trump wrote, “White House doctors have just reported that I am in ‘perfect health’ and have given a ‘pass’ (i.e. answered 100% of the questions asked correctly!) on three consecutive cognitive tests that no other president or former vice president wanted to take.”
I don’t like exercising
President Trump said he doesn’t do any exercise other than playing golf regularly because he’s “bored.”
“I just don’t like it. It’s boring,” President Trump told the newspaper. “Walking or running on a treadmill for hours on end like some people is not for me.”
Trump’s doctor, Sean Barbavera, said Trump, who is known for eating fatty foods such as hamburgers and fries, takes rosuvastatin and ezetimibe to control his cholesterol and uses mometasone cream to treat a skin condition.
President Trump credited his energy to his parents, who stayed active even into old age. “Genetics is very important,” he said. “And I have very good genes.”
President Trump says he underwent CT scan instead of MRI
President Trump has said for months that he underwent an MRI during a visit to Walter Reed Medical Center in October.
However, he corrected himself in an interview with the Journal, saying he had actually undergone a CT scan.
“It wasn’t an MRI,” Trump told the Journal. “It was less than that. It was a scan.”
Barbabella confirmed in a statement that Trump underwent a CT scan “to completely rule out any cardiovascular issues.” No abnormalities were found as a result of the scan. Barbabella said Trump’s doctors initially told him they would do either an MRI or CT scan, and he ultimately chose the latter.
X Contact Joey Garrison at @joeygarrison.
