Cardiologist Dr. Jonathan Reiner says he’s concerned about President Donald Trump’s health, citing swelling in his legs, bruising on his hands, and a “manic” speaking style—while also questioning how the White House has disclosed medical information.
When President Donald Trump visited Walter Reed a day after his hand looked discolored online, cardiologist Dr. Jonathan Reiner was already sounding alarms about what he described as health signs that he believes haven’t been fully explained.
Reiner. a professor of medicine at George Washington University Hospital and former White House cardiologist. told The Washington Post he was concerned by what he described as swelling in Trump’s legs. He pointed to signs of chronic venous insufficiency, a condition he says involves problems with blood flow in the legs.
The sticking point for Reiner was what he saw as a gap in disclosure. He noted that the condition he raised was not mentioned in Trump’s April 2025 medical report, adding that this omission raised questions about whether it was overlooked or left out.
Reiner also warned about what could come later. If swelling were to develop into acute edema, he said, it could indicate congestive heart failure—an outcome that would require evaluation.
Bruising and the handshakes explanation
Reiner also pushed back on the White House’s explanation for recurring bruising on Trump’s hands, with officials blaming frequent handshakes.
Reiner suggested excessive aspirin use could be a factor. He also argued that bruising on Trump’s left hand was unlikely to result from handshakes alone.
His concerns aren’t limited to physical observations. In a December 2025 interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper, Reiner described Trump’s speech cadence as “manic” and “frantic,” comparing it to audio played at double speed.
Reiner later posted on X, “I’m seriously concerned about the health of the president. No one should be happy to see the president like this. He looks unwell.”
Medical transparency has been the recurring theme
For Reiner, the controversy isn’t just the symptoms—it’s how medical information is handled.
He has repeatedly criticized the White House’s approach to Trump’s medical disclosures. In particular, he questioned an unannounced MRI visit to Walter Reed, saying advanced imaging is diagnostic rather than routine. While the White House later clarified that Trump underwent a CT scan in 2025. Reiner said the lack of transparency around such visits undermines public trust.
He also pointed to public confidence gaps. An April 2025 Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll found that only 40 percent of Americans believed Trump had the mental fitness to serve effectively, while 44 percent believed he had adequate physical health.
Cognitive-test comments draw more criticism
Reiner has also criticized Trump’s repeated public comments about his performance on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, or MoCA—a screening tool used to detect mild cognitive impairment and early signs of Alzheimer’s disease rather than measure intelligence.
At a White House Cabinet meeting in March. Trump said. “I’m the only president that ever took a cognitive test. I took it three times. It’s actually a very hard test for a lot of people. It wasn’t hard for me. It starts off with an easy question and by the time you get to the middle — it gets tougher — mathematical equations and things.”.
Reiner responded on X with a blunt request for Trump to stop bragging about results. He wrote: “If I were one of the president’s advisers, I would beg him to stop bragging about doing well on a dementia screening tool which requires the patient to identify a camel and subtract 7 from 100.”
He added, “I do agree that all candidates for POTUS should have comprehensive physical exams, and the data should be made public. The president’s next annual comprehensive examination is due next month.”
The MoCA involves tasks such as identifying animals, copying a clock drawing, and subtracting seven from 100. It is not considered an IQ test, and Community Notes on X were later added to viral clips of Trump’s remarks correcting his description of the exam.
Healthcare strategist Dr. Adam Brown replied to Reiner with sarcasm, writing: “John, camels are quite challenging to identify, as is subtracting by 7. Clearly, this is genius-level stuff.”
Reiner’s push also touched on a clinical question. Medical experts have noted that repeatedly administering the same cognitive screening test is clinically unusual.
The through-line in Reiner’s comments is clear: he says the public should have comprehensive, transparent medical information—and that the president’s visible health indicators and public messaging don’t match the level of clarity he believes the situation requires.
Donald Trump health Jonathan Reiner cardiologist chronic venous insufficiency congestive heart failure bruising aspirin Walter Reed MRI CT scan MoCA cognitive test Montreal Cognitive Assessment
So he’s got swollen legs but nobody wants to talk about it? That’s crazy.
Wait I thought the whole hand bruising thing was just from like, working out or whatever. Now it’s aspirin? I’m lost. Also why is a former cardiologist guessing from videos like that.
The “manic” speech part is probably just stress from being president, not heart failure. Plus he’s always doing rallies, of course people talk fast. Reiner sounds dramatic, like he’s trying to be right more than help.
I don’t buy the white house explanation but I also don’t think bruises prove anything. Handshakes could do it, idk, but saying chronic venous insufficiency from a pic feels like overreach. Then they mention April 2025 report like that settles it? Like are we supposed to trust reports more than a doctor? Either way, if it’s blood flow in the legs then why wasn’t this caught sooner??