Unfiltered Donald Trump Photos That Sparked Health Concerns During His Second Term

In January 2025, 78-year-old Donald Trump's second presidential term began, making him the oldest person to be inaugurated in U.S. history. The matter of his age, as well as his health, has been at the front of public discourse. What started as rumors and partisan jabs has turned into genuine concern as more and more photos come out — photos that inevitably raise questions about his physical condition, even as the White House insists he is in great health.

Multiple reports confirm Trump has undergone medical evaluations, including a CT scan (not an MRI, as he had initially claimed) at Walter Reed in late 2025. But despite the mild reassurance of the tests the president has taken, the concern lingers.

Trump has been made aware of conversation regarding his health, but his attempts at easing people's minds, such as boasting about the results of his cognitive tests, haven't made up for the lack of actual transparency. The White House hasn't offered a detailed medical report to the public, and Trump's doctors' reports are often brief and glowing. While the administration promotes health price transparency for Americans, the same openness hasn't been applied to the president's own health. Look no further than the discourse surrounding the following photos.

Throughout 2025 and early 2026, Donald Trump was photographed on the golf course without his signature orange bronzer, revealing a pale, arguably depleted natural skin tone. The snaps of Trump's makeup-free face were not only a reminder of his true age, but fueled some concern. One instance that stood out occurred early in his second term, in April 2025, upon his return from his New Jersey golf club. In the candid photo, Trump appeared to be without makeup entirely, and his natural complexion read sallow and pallid. 

Even before his second term, pictures of Donald Trump golfing without makeup got tongues wagging. Trump seems to forgo makeup when he goes golfing, and as a result, the visible redness and uneven tone of his skin is on full display, details that would typically be masked by his signature heavy bronzer. As recently as February 2026, another photo circulated showing Trump at Mar-a-Lago meeting former UK Prime Minister Liz Truss, again without makeup. His pale complexion and tired-looking visage prompted questions about how he was holding up. One social media user took things a step further and declared (via Irish Star), "he looks like death." 

In February 2026, Trump also went without makeup when he attended Dan Scavino's wedding, and yes, the photographs also created a stir. As one X user wrote, "Om gawd he looks ghostly...I mean ghastly."

It's one thing to rest your eyes for an extra moment during a routine news conference, but surely appearing to be overtired during a high-stakes diplomatic meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh seems like a different ballgame. In May 2025, President Donald Trump looked like he was about ready to fall asleep during a meeting with MBS. In widely shared screengrabs and clips of the sit-down, Trump seemed like he could barely keep his eyes open, prompting questions about whether or not he is cut out for the demands of the gig. 

The meeting was a formal briefing on a sweeping arms deal and economic agreements between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia. Trump, then 78, appeared fatigued throughout the session, despite the significance of the negotiations. The public's concern for his health in this situation go way beyond petty insults and cross into the territory of fear for national security. 

The White House dismissed the episode. "It's clear that President Trump was fully engaged and listening intently as he finalized historic deals on his return to Saudi Arabia," White House Communications Director Steven Cheung stated, per the Daily Beast. "The Daily Beast should perk up and stop slacking instead of taking their cues of liberal liars who have shown a history of deceiving the American people." Critics still expressed their concern, including podcaster Brian Allen, who declared it a "surreal and frankly humiliating moment" on X. He directly called out the White House, stating, "This isn't jet lag, it's a walking security risk with a nap schedule."

On July 13, 2025, during the FIFA Club World Cup final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, President Donald Trump was photographed sitting beside first lady Melania Trump, FIFA president Gianni Infantino, and other guests. The photos of the president watching the match only raised new concerns. In some of the snaps, you can see that the president's suit pants are riding high, revealing visibly swollen ankles. His shoes are loosened, presumably to accommodate the swelling, which sparked immediate concern about his physical condition as the images were quickly and widely shared online.

His swollen ankles were captured in clear, front-facing photos, making it difficult to dismiss. Medical experts note that while ankle swelling can result from prolonged sitting or heat exposure, it can also signal more serious underlying conditions, including heart failure, kidney disease, or circulatory issues. In a letter provided to The New York Times, Trump's physician, Dr. Sean Barbabella, explained that it was related to chronic venous insufficiency, which is "a benign and common condition." He also maintained that Trump is "in excellent health."

Speaking to ReachPlc (via Firstpost), Dr. Jeff Foster emphasized that significant ankle swelling in someone considered to be in, as Barbabella put it, "excellent health" would be unusual and warrants medical evaluation. "The big one we worry about is heart failure," he said, "where the heart can't pump blood efficiently, leading to fluid pooling in the lower limbs." Despite the growing attention, neither Trump nor his medical team has addressed the incident directly.

On August 25, 2025, President Donald Trump held a meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung in the Oval Office. After photos taken during this state visit were released, the general public quickly noticed a prominent bruise on the back of Donald Trump's right hand. The mark was clearly visible and sparked renewed scrutiny over the president's health. There were rumors that the bruise was caused by an IV, which led some to suspect he might be dealing with more serious health problems behind the scenes. 

The administration addressed the chatter quickly. In a statement provided to the BBC, Trump's physician, Dr. Sean Barbabella, explained, "[The bruising] is consistent with minor soft tissue irritation from frequent handshaking and the use of aspirin, which is taken as part of a standard cardiovascular prevention regimen." He also insisted the bruising was not indicative of any serious underlying condition.

This was not the first time the president's hand bruising was a topic of conversation, and this was also not the first time handshakes were called out. When asked about a dark bruise on his hand while being interviewed for his Time Person of the Year profile in 2024, he stated, "It's from shaking hands with thousands of people." 

On August 22, 2025, just days before he met with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, President Donald Trump apparently attempted to cover up his hand bruising with makeup before making an appearance at a museum near the White House. The concealer not only did not match his skin tone, but stood out in high-resolution photos.

This was not an isolated effort. Both before and after this incident, Trump has been photographed wearing what looked like a thick layer of makeup on his hand. The concealer was visible when he met with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in July 2025. It was again impossible to miss when he met with French President Emmanuel Macron in February 2025. And most recently, it was on full display in February 2026 before a meeting with coal miners. Every time, the concealer, or whatever product was used, looked heavy and not blended in. While the president might've hoped the back of his hand would go unnoticed, the apparent makeup job only served to pull focus. 

After people zeroed in on the giant patch of concealer on the back of his hand when he met with Macron in early 2025, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt addressed the bruising underneath. Once again, the blame was placed on handshakes. "President Trump has bruises on his hand because he's constantly working and shaking hands all day every day," she said in a statement, per NBC News.

The photos of President Donald Trump taken at the Pentagon during the 24th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks ceremony were perhaps among the most-discussed photos of him following the start of his second term. In the images, there was a noticeable droop on the right side of his face. The images spread like wildfire online, and there was speculation that the asymmetry in his facial muscles, particularly around the mouth, may have been related to something as serious as a stroke. 

Facial drooping is indeed a well-known warning sign of stroke, but in this particular case, it looks like it was a false alarm. In a statement to Snopes, the White House swiftly dismissed the chatter about the president possibly having a stroke. As press secretary Taylor Rogers stated, "The answer is absolutely not." No official medical explanation was provided beyond the denial, though, and Trump's physician, Dr. Sean Barbabella, did not issue a public statement specifically addressing the incident. While it is true that facial asymmetry can result from various issues ranging from simple stress to a life-threatening condition, the lack of details regarding the images certainly led people to assume the worst. 

In November 6, 2025, a photograph of President Donald Trump apparently taking a nap during an Oval Office meeting not only earned him a nickname from Gavin Newsom, but made the internet rounds. While it definitely looked like Trump was once again too exhausted for a meeting, White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers insisted to CNN that "the President was not sleeping."

A few weeks later, the president addressed his own sleeping habits during a meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Per Forbes, he maintained that he does not need much shuteye. "He does not sleep much, and I don't sleep much, I think we have the same schedule," Trump told reporters. He then went on to criticize his predecessor, Joe Biden, for sleeping too much. Trump also indicated that he and MBS were both too busy to sleep. "If you sleep a lot and you're president... no, [MBS is] not a sleeper, I'm not a sleeper," the U.S. president said. "We talk at night... I can call him almost anytime."

"When you love your job, when you love your country, and when you're in a position like we are ... you're thinking about your country," Trump added. "He thinks about his country, and I think about my country. I don't want to sleep." The following month, Trump appeared to nod off during a cabinet meeting. Per Reuters, Trump would later declare that he shut his eyes because he was uninterested, not tired.  "Look, it got pretty boring," he told officials in January 2026. "I didn't sleep. I just closed them because I wanted to get the hell outta here."

Near the end of 2025, a picture of President Donald Trump sitting at a dining table at Mar-a-Lago made major waves. In the photo, he seemed to be leaning over toward a window, with his eyes closed and his mouth slightly open. The most charitable assumption would be to believe that the 79-year-old president was perhaps in the middle of yawning, but the image left many wondering if he literally fell asleep in the middle of a meal.

This was President Trump this afternoon at Mar-a-Lago.

He literally fell asleep at the table. pic.twitter.com/E6iuJrNucY

— Ed Krassenstein (@EdKrassen) November 30, 2025

The image raised some concerns. Though he certainly could have just been blinking when the photo was snapped, it didn't help that he'd only recently looked about ready to fall asleep in various meetings, too. Critics of Trump called for transparency about what was going on in the picture and demanded the White House release more information about the president's health. 

Ask and you shall receive. The following month, Trump told New York magazine he is "in perfect health." "I do purposely every year or less a physical, because I think the American people should know that the president is healthy so you don't get a guy like the last one, who was the worst thing that ever happened to older people," he said. The president also maintained that he doesn't require more than five hours of sleep a night.

In December 2025, President Donald Trump's hand bandages sparked concern. That month, he was repeatedly photographed with one or more large bandages on the back of his right hand. Evidently, he decided to pivot away from the caked-on concealer and try a new coverup method.

On December 2, during a Cabinet meeting, Trump was seen with two bandages on his hand. That was when the White House switched from using makeup to using dressings on the president's hands. Over the next week, the bandaged hand reappeared at multiple high-profile events. On December 4, during a meeting with the presidents of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the bandage was visible again, this time reduced to a single large patch. Trump mostly kept his hands behind the podium during opening remarks.

Only days later, during the Kennedy Center Honors, two bandages could be seen on his hand again. The pattern only continued to raise questions. In a press conference, Trump's spokesperson Karoline Leavitt seemed annoyed by the conversation about the bandages and once again insisted that nothing serious was going on. And yes, she once again echoed the company line: "The president is literally constantly shaking hands." She acknowledged that the bandages were covering bruises, but added, "He's also on a daily aspirin regimen, which is something his physical examinations have said in the past as well, which can contribute to the bruise that you see."

During a televised news conference in February 2026, President Donald Trump not only swayed but looked tired throughout the segment, and the general public sure noticed. As he stood next to the Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin, who was there to speak about the Clean Air Act, the president not only didn't seem to be paying attention, but closed his eyes for extended periods. Per the Daily Beast, once Zeldin finished speaking, the president remarked, "That was long." While once upon a time the comment might've been written off as another one of Trump's apparently unfiltered — and insulting — thoughts, the American people understandably wondered why the president seemed more or less unable to stay fully alert during a news conference.

This was not the first time the president appeared to zone out on the public stage, but he has said time and time again that just because he's shutting his eyes that does not mean he's tired. "I'll just close. It's very relaxing to me," he said in a December 2025 interview with The Wall Street Journal. "Sometimes they'll take a picture of me blinking, blinking, and they'll catch me with the blink." 

While that might be true when it comes to isolated images, Trump appeared to be taking extra long blinks in the video of the aforementioned news conference. The president not only looked like he was zoning out during Zeldin's speech, but like he was ready to take a nap. Some social media users called out Trump's nickname for former President Joe Biden — "Sleepy Joe" — and noted that it seemed the tables have turned.