President Trump is undergoing an annual physical at Walter Reed Hospital on Friday, the first physical of his second term.
Mr. Trump, who at 78 is the oldest president to be sworn in for a new term, had his last known comprehensive examination in September 2023. He released only limited details from that visit. A source familiar with the president’s upcoming physical said he is not expected to take a cognitive test.
Mr. Trump’s schedule predicts he will be at Walter Reed for four hours and 45 minutes. Presidential physicals are time-consuming, and typically include a battery of tests and checks.
“The basic thing they’re going to be doing are vital signs, your heart, lung, abdominal exam that you’re used to getting at the doctor’s office,” said CBS News medical contributor Dr. Céline Gounder. “Basic labs like your cholesterol, your blood sugar, maybe kidney and liver tests. And then if there is a prior medical history of risk factor or some other issue, maybe an EKG, a chest X-ray, ultrasound, echocardiogram, that sort of thing.”
But Gounder noted there’s another element to it as well.
“A presidential physical is not your typical physical exam,” she said. “I think it makes more sense to think about this as a curated medical PR event, really intended to reassure the public that the president is able to perform his duties.”
In November 2023, Mr. Trump posted a letter from his doctor of osteopathic medicine, Bruce Aronwald, summarizing his September checkup. The letter said Mr. Trump’s “overall health is excellent,” and his “physical exams were well within the normal range and his cognitive exams were exceptional.” But the letter did not offer any specifics such as Mr. Trump’s vital signs or any medications he was taking.
After Mr. Trump’s ear was struck by a bullet at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, last July, Republican Rep. Ronny Jackson — a doctor who was Trump’s physician during his first term — posted a memo about the president’s health. Jackson said he reviewed Mr. Trump’s hospital records and that he was “doing extremely well” after the assassination attempt. Mr. Trump has said he isn’t suffering from any long-term health effects from the shooting, and his ear has since healed.
The last annual physical Mr. Trump underwent as president was in June 2020. A summary of the physical released by the White House at the time said he weighed 244 pounds, and his blood pressure was 121 over 79.
contributed to this report.
