Trump's aides use furniture to conceal his swollen ankles in photo ops, claims insider

WASHINGTON, DC: Donald Trump’s health is once again the subject of speculation after a new report suggested that his aides go to great lengths to hide his swollen ankles during official photo opportunities.

According to a source familiar with White House event planning, Trump, 79, makes sure chairs are always nearby when he enters a room and prefers holding events in the Oval Office so he can remain seated behind the Resolute Desk.

Insider claims Trump insists on remaining seated

The insider told The New York Times that Trump “doesn’t actually have to stand up for prolonged periods of time” during these smaller gatherings, which are easier to stage. His apparent reluctance to be on his feet has fueled questions about his physical condition, with critics pointing to several recent appearances in which the president was seated and carefully positioned to avoid showing his ankles on camera.

During a meeting with European leaders on August 18, Trump remained behind his desk for the entirety of the engagement, which prompted MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell to argue the move was a deliberate attempt to keep his swollen ankles out of sight.

O’Donnell explained, “Presidents actually rarely sit at the Oval Office desk like that during meetings in the Oval Office with people from outside the White House staff. The president usually sits in one of those chairs in front of the fireplace. That’s where the president always sat in every Oval Office meeting I was in when I worked in the Senate,” he said.

O’Donnell went further, comparing Trump’s appearance unfavorably with that of Russian President Vladimir Putin, noting the 72-year-old showed no visible signs of similar health issues. He wrote, “Trump's meeting with Vladimir Putin in Alaska was also indicative of his declining health.”

An official photo from Trump’s meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also appeared carefully framed, with a model of Air Force One positioned directly in front of Trump’s ankle.

Medical experts cast doubt on White House claim about Trump’s ankle swelling

The White House has attributed Trump’s swollen ankles to chronic venous insufficiency, a circulation problem that makes it difficult for veins to move blood back to the heart. 

Yet experts have cast doubt on that explanation. Dr Daniel J Rader, a cardiologist at the University of Pennsylvania, told reporters that the condition “almost never” causes significant swelling in both ankles at once, suggesting something else could be at play.

Trump’s recent light public schedule has only heightened speculation, with some online even spreading false claims that the president had died. On Tuesday, September 2, Trump brushed off speculation about his health — and even rumors of his death — insisting he had been “very active” throughout Labor Day weekend.

Speaking from the Oval Office, he joked that his brief downtime had sparked wild theories. “I didn’t do anything for two days, and they said, ‘There must be something wrong with him,’” Trump remarked, dismissing the chatter as nothing more than “fake news.”

Trump’s bruised hand had already fueled speculation in the past.