Trump, 79, Reveals Bulging Cankles While Hosting World Leader
Donald Trump’s noticeably swollen ankles made his last public appearance on Tuesday as the president hosted Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in the Oval Office.
The 79-year-old president’s besties bulged on the tops of their black dress shoes during the meeting, which failed to strike a trade deal between the two North American neighbors.
Trump, who floated the idea of annexing Canada as the 51st state in a speech to U.S. military leaders last week, walked for months on enlarged ankles due to a condition common in the elderly in which blood pools in the legs.
Donald Trump, 79, the oldest person to be inaugurated as president, has been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency. /Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
The extent of the president’s swelling was hard to miss on Tuesday as he sat next to Carney, 60, and vice president J.D. Vance, 41, whose ankles looked dainty by comparison.
When reached for comment on the photos, White House spokesman Kush Desai told The Daily Beast that the president was in “tremendous health” and added, “President Trump is a champion-caliber golfer with vitality, mental acuity and energy levels that most young people simply do not have.”
Trump added a bright layer of makeup to cover the bruise on his right hand for his meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. /Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
of the White House X AccountHaving avoided showing Trump’s lower extremities in official photos in the past, he appears to have only released clips and images from the meeting so far, keeping his ankles out of view.
In September, Trump’s swollen ankles were in stark contrast to First Lady Melania’s as she left Marine One after returning from the United Kingdom.
The president’s bulging boobs were caught on camera as he and first lady Melania returned from England last month. / Daily Beast / Reuters
Trump, the oldest person to be inaugurated as president, was diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, which occurs when damaged veins slowly slow blood flow to the heart.
Questions about his health have mounted only since the White House announced the diagnosis in July, as he displayed a permanent bruise on his hand and sometimes struggled to walk in a straight line.
Trump added a new layer of makeup to cover the bruises during his meeting with Carney, as he does on public outings.
The White House dismissed concerns by attributing the massive bruise to forceful hand shaking combined with “the use of aspirin taken as part of a standard cardiovascular prevention regimen.”
Trump’s Cankles and Rotten Hands have fueled speculation around the 79-year-old’s health. /Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Trump has said little about his health problems. Speaking to Navy Sailors on Sunday, he claimed to be a healthier and stronger “physical specimen” than Barack Obama and George W. Bush.
He also criticized the fitness of 82-year-old Joe Biden and speculated on the former president’s chances of falling down the stairs – before reflecting on his own vulnerability in a surprising twist.
“I have to be careful because one day I will probably fall,” he said.
Trump’s mental acuity has also been questioned, as he routinely gives incoherent and rambling speeches and misrepresents simple facts about his life, such as the year his first term as President began.
