lack of – A medical analyst says the White House hasn’t been transparent about President Donald Trump’s health as he heads to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for another “routine” examination. The pushback focuses on ankle swelling previously attributed to
By the time President Donald Trump is driven through the gates of Walter Reed National Military Medical Center again on Tuesday, the White House will be leaning on familiar language: a “routine” examination.
For Dr. Jonathan Reiner, that phrasing doesn’t answer what matters most—how much the public has been told, and when. The medical analyst called out the White House for being “less-than-forthcoming” about Trump’s health ahead of the Tuesday visit. saying there is “a lack of candor from the White House.”.
Reiner’s concern centers on Trump’s age and on a visible medical sign the administration previously explained away. Trump has shown visibly swollen ankles—often referred to as “cankles.” Last year. the White House attributed that swelling to chronic venous insufficiency. a common and often benign condition involving poor blood flow from the legs to the heart.
In the account the White House offered last year, the condition would cause blood to pool in the legs and feet, which can match what was seen in a July 2025 photo of Trump’s ankle: Trump’s left foot and swollen ankle shown from the Oval Office in a July 16, 2025 image.
Reiner said the White House should provide more detail about how and when that condition developed—especially because it was not documented during Trump’s April 2025 examination at Walter Reed.
“If the condition appeared suddenly after that visit, it could be due to acute edema,” Reiner told The Washington Post. He added that acute edema “usually warrants a in-depth evaluation to make sure that you don’t have conditions like congestive heart failure.”
That question—whether something benign is being treated like a settled explanation. or whether it deserves deeper scrutiny—has been part of Reiner’s wider critique of how the administration communicates Trump’s health. He is nearly 80. will turn 80 next month. and Reiner’s argument is rooted in how aging intersects with medicine: “older people develop medical issues. ” he said.
On top of the ankle issue. Reiner has also previously questioned the White House’s explanations for bruising on Trump’s hands. The administration has said the bruises come from aspirin use and frequent handshaking. Reiner previously described Trump’s daily aspirin regimen as “unorthodox.” He has said that Trump’s 325 milligrams per day of aspirin doesn’t provide benefit for primary prevention—trying to prevent a cardiac event by giving aspirin—and that the “hazard can be bleeding. significant bleeding.”.
Trump has also often used cosmetics to cover bruising on his hand, with the article describing images of Trump’s hands as seen at the White House on May 18, 2026.
Reiner, who previously served as cardiologist to Vice President Dick Cheney, has been vocal about other health concerns as well. He suggested Trump should be examined for sleep apnea, citing what he described as a pattern of dozing during meetings. “Repeatedly falling asleep with a dozen people surrounding your desk is not normal,” Reiner said on X earlier this year. “It needs to be evaluated.”.
The Tuesday Walter Reed visit will be Trump’s third “annual” exam in just 13 months. He had two “annual” medical visits in 2025—first in April and again in October.
After the second 2025 visit, Trump said he had an MRI test and called it “perfect” without providing specifics. He later said it was actually a CT scan. but said he didn’t know which part of the body was scanned. His doctor, Navy Capt. Sean Barbabella. later said the CT scan was “to definitively rule out any cardiovascular issues” and called the results “perfectly normal.”.
The White House has also said Trump will see a dentist during the Walter Reed visit. It will be his third dental visit this year. The two previous dental visits were in Florida in January and again earlier this month. The administration has not disclosed what dental work was done beyond stating that the visits were “scheduled dental appointments.”.
Trump has also said he has taken three cognitive tests. “No president, think of this, has ever taken one,” he said earlier this month, adding that he “aced” each of them.
The sequencing is what sharpens the pressure. The White House has offered explanations for symptoms the public can see. but Reiner’s critique is that the timeline and the details don’t line up—at least not from the way they were described publicly. In the case of the ankle swelling. he points to a gap between what was shown and what was noted during an April 2025 exam.
As Trump heads to Walter Reed on Tuesday for what the administration calls another routine step. the scrutiny won’t just be about what tests are ordered. It will also be about what gets disclosed. and whether the story that’s been told so far is complete enough for a medical analyst to stop asking for more.
United States politics Donald Trump health Walter Reed White House Dr. Jonathan Reiner chronic venous insufficiency chronic medical disclosure aspirin bruising sleep apnea Navy Capt. Sean Barbabella cognitive tests
Routine my butt. If his ankles are swelling they should just say it.
So is this about his ankles again or what? Like they blamed it on that blood flow thing and now they’re mad they didn’t say enough. Honestly I just want transparency but the government never is.
They said chronic venous insufficiency last year right… but if it wasn’t in April then that means it was suddenly caused by like, walking too much? Idk how doctors work. Still feels like they’re hiding something.
“Lack of candor” sounds dramatic, but the whole “routine” thing is suspicious. If it’s not documented during his April visit but they already knew about swelling, then what, they just forgot to mention it? Also Walter Reed always has cameras and updates (or at least they did for past people), so why is it always vague? This is why everyone argues online nonstop.