Trump boasts he's the ‘best physical specimen’ among recent presidents during Naval Station speech

Donald Trump said Ronny Jackson, his former White House doctor, once told reporters that Trump has the best 'physical specimen'
PUBLISHED OCT 6, 2025
Donald Trump thanked dignitaries at the event and mentioned Representative Ronny Jackson, who served as his White House doctor during his first term (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
Donald Trump thanked dignitaries at the event and mentioned Representative Ronny Jackson, who served as his White House doctor during his first term (Alex Wong/Getty Images)


 

NORFOLK, VIRGINIA: President Donald Trump said on Sunday, October 5, that he is the "best physical specimen" of all the recent presidents while addressing sailors during celebrations for the US Navy’s 250th anniversary in Virginia.

The president made the remark while thanking dignitaries who helped make the celebration possible and mentioning Rep Ronny Jackson, who served as his doctor during his first term.

Trump recalls doctor calling him ‘best physical specimen’ among presidents

During his speech on Sunday, Trump said, "A man that everybody loves — he was my doctor in the White House and I got to know him very well. He was also the doctor for Barack Hussein Obama. Have you heard of him?"

"He was a doctor for a man named [George W] Bush. And at a press conference they asked him, 'Who’s in the best shape, who’s the healthiest, who’s the strongest, who’s the best physical specimen of the three?' He said, 'That’s easy. President Donald Trump!' And I said, 'I love this guy!'," the president added. Trump then paused for applause and said, "I said, 'I love him!'"

First Lady Melania Trump and U.S. President Donald Trump disembark from Air Force One after landing at Naval Station Norfolk before they visit the USS George H.W. Bush aircraft carrier on October 5, 2025 in Norfolk, Virginia. President Trump is visiting Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia for a celebration of the 250th birthday of the U.S. Navy. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
First lady Melania Trump and President Donald Trump disembark from Air Force One after landing at Naval Station Norfolk before they visit the USS George HW Bush aircraft carrier on October 5, 2025, in Norfolk, Virginia (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

"Ronny Jackson. He’s now a congressman, you know. So, he was an admiral, he was a chief doctor — he was the whole boss of doctors — and now he’s a very, very successful congressman from Texas. Thank you, Ronny, and I appreciate those words. I’ll never forget them," the president said.

Jackson told reporters during a White House press conference in 2018 that Trump "has incredibly good genes, and it’s just the way God made him. I told the president that if he had a healthier diet over the last 20 years he might live to be 200 years old."

First Lady Melania Trump claps as U.S. President Donald Trump raises his fist after making remarks during the Navy 250 Celebration at the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier on October 5, 2025 in Norfolk, Virginia. President Trump is visiting Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia for a celebration of the 250th birthday of the U.S. Navy. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
First lady Melania Trump claps as President Donald Trump raises his fist after making remarks during the Navy 250 Celebration at the USS Harry S Truman aircraft carrier on October 5, 2025, in Norfolk, Virginia (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Moreover, he said at the time, "I have absolutely no concerns about his cognitive ability," while noting the president’s score of 30 out of 30 on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment test.

Trump’s bruised hand and speech issues raise fresh health doubts

Despite President Donald Trump once famously claiming he was "the healthiest president that’s ever lived," recent developments and circulating images have raised speculation about his health.

Since taking office for his second term, Trump has shown visible health concerns, particularly involving his hands.

Photographs taken at public events have repeatedly shown unexplained bruising on his right hand, often concealed with foundation. Meanwhile, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt explained that Trump’s bruised hand resulted from "tissue damage caused by frequent handshakes," while noting that he takes aspirin as "part of a standard cardiovascular prevention regimen."

Makeup covers a bruise on the back of U.S. President Donald Trump's hand as he hosts French President Emmanuel Macron for meetings at the White House on February 24, 2025 in Washington, DC. Macron is meeting with Trump in Washington on the third anniversary of Russia's full-scale military invasion of Ukraine. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Makeup covers a bruise on the back of President Donald Trump's hand as he hosts French President Emmanuel Macron for meetings at the White House on February 24, 2025, in Washington, DC (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Beyond physical symptoms, Trump’s mental sharpness has become a subject of intense debate. His frequent lapses during press conferences — such as asking reporters to repeat questions — have deepened public suspicion.

Psychologist Dr John Gartner told radio host Dean Obeidallah that Trump’s speech patterns reveal "classic signs of dementia," citing examples of phonemic paraphasia — instances where Trump substitutes made-up words for real ones. His niece, Mary Trump, also fueled speculation on her YouTube channel, insisting that he is "declining rapidly" and "losing it every day."

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the media as he departs the White House on July 15, 2025 in Washington, DC. Trump is traveling to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to speak at an artificial intelligence and energy summit. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
President Donald Trump speaks to the media as he departs the White House on July 15, 2025, in Washington, DC (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Interestingly, during a 'Fox & Friends' interview, the president admitted he feared he might not make it to heaven.

"I want to try to get to heaven if possible, I’m hearing that I’m not doing well," Trump said, a day after hosting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House.

MORE STORIES

JD Vance dismissed claims that Israel influences President Donald Trump’s foreign policy, stressing an 'America First' approach
2 hours ago
Filmmaker Mira Nair said in an interview that her son Zohran Mamdani is 'not an American at all' and 'very much one of us'
2 hours ago
JD Vance shared how Charlie Kirk shaped his faith and told students that a strong Christian moral order is vital to the nation’s future
2 hours ago
Left-wing podcaster Jennifer Welch warned Democratic leaders to stop taking AIPAC money and follow extremists celebrating Charlie Kirk’s death
3 hours ago
Rep Jim Himes condemned President Donald Trump’s 'illegal' US strikes on suspected drug traffickers, offering a startling hypothetical scenario
3 hours ago
Bill Cassidy said the late Turning Point USA founder deserved a statue in Donald Trump’s planned 'National Garden of American Heroes'
3 hours ago
Cheryl Hines stunned Hollywood peers by embracing conservative politics and defending husband Robert F Kennedy Jr after years as a proud liberal
3 hours ago
John Fetterman called Erika Kirk’s appearance 'heroic,' noting that regardless of political affiliation, her bravery deserved recognition
4 hours ago
Chris Cuomo praised Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez as a 'real contender in 2028' but criticized her 'teenage trash-talking' exchange with Riley Gaines
4 hours ago
Cardi B slammed Donald Trump, saying he was 'never for the poor,' accusing him of ignoring people of all races and only caring about the wealthy
5 hours ago