🕷️ Crawler Inspector

URL Lookup

Direct Parameter Lookup

Raw Queries and Responses

1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 5 (from laksa044)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa005.int.ahrefs:8124/' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/plain' \
  -H 'X-ClickHouse-Database: crawler3' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YXBpOg==' \
  -d 'SELECT getAhrefsURLFromUnparsed(src_unparsed) AS found_url, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(download_stamp), 0) AS crawl_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(props_url_first_seen), 0) AS first_indexed_time, download_http_code AS http_code, src_unparsed AS src_unparsed, src_root_hash AS src_root_hash, history_drop_reason AS history_drop_reason, meta_title AS meta_title, meta_descriptions AS meta_descriptions, attrs_boilerpipe_text AS attrs_boilerpipe_text, attrs_markdown AS attrs_markdown, attrs_readable_markdown AS attrs_readable_markdown, meta_canonical AS meta_canonical FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/donald-trump-health-year-in-review\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/donald-trump-health-year-in-review\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/news\/story\/donald-trump-health-year-in-review","crawl_time":1775781962,"first_indexed_time":1765917548,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"com,vanityfair!www,\/news\/story\/donald-trump-health-year-in-review s443","src_root_hash":"9622172994434758605","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"In 2025, Trump Couldn’t Escape Questions About His Health | Vanity Fair","meta_descriptions":["What’s going on with the president’s hands? Why can’t he stay awake during meetings? And why does he always seem to be taking cognitive tests? Let’s review."],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"The Hand Situation\nLet’s start with Trump’s hands, which have repeatedly appeared bruised or discolored and have occasionally been covered with\nBand-Aids\nor caked-on makeup—as seen\nduring his recent appearance at the White House Congressional Ball\n.\nKaroline Leavitt,\nthe White House press secretary, has said that the president’s hands are bruised “because he’s constantly working and shaking hands all day every day.”\n“President Trump is a man of the people,”\nLeavitt explained\nin February. “The president is literally constantly shaking hands,”\nLeavitt reiterated\nthis month.\nSean Barbabella,\nphysician to the president, also chalked up Trump’s hand bruises to his glad-handing habit, as well as an aspirin regimen. “President Trump remains in excellent health,”\nBarbabella said\nin a July memo. But many social media users (as well as doctors\nwho haven’t treated Trump\n) have questioned that explanation, speculating instead that the bruising and Band-Aids could be related to an undisclosed medical condition.\nTrump’s hands weren’t the only extremity to cause concern this year. That July memo from Barbabella was released after Trump’s ankles appeared swollen. He was ultimately diagnosed with\nchronic venous insufficiency\n, a blood-flow issue that can cause blood to collect in the legs.\nWhere’s Trump?\nTrump has been a ubiquitous figure in American life through the first year of his second presidency—except for a brief spell in late August, when he was conspicuously absent from the public eye and rumors took hold that he was seriously ill or\nperhaps even dead\n. The rumors, of course, were just rumors—Trump is very much alive. But they were supercharged by cryptic statements made by Vice President\nJD Vance,\nwho spoke about his preparedness to take over for Trump should the need arise.\n“I feel very confident the president of the United States is in good shape,” Vance\ntold\nUSA Today\nin August. “And if, God forbid, there’s a terrible tragedy, I can’t think of better on-the-job training than what I’ve gotten over the last 200 days.”\nTrump, naturally, waved away the speculation: “NEVER FELT BETTER IN MY LIFE,” he\nposted\nonline, along with a\nweek-old image of himself golfing\nwith the former NFL coach and commentator\nJon Gruden,\nafter the speculation had already reached a fever pitch.\nAt Another Checkup?\nIn October,\nLeavitt said\nTrump would be getting a “routine yearly checkup” at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center—his second “yearly” checkup in six months. That raised a question: Was something going on that the White House wasn’t coming forward with?\nLate last month, Trump made reference to an MRI he’d undergone at Walter Reed—without saying why he’d had the scan in the first place. (In December,\nthe White House released a letter\nin which Barbabella said that imaging was done to evaluate the president’s “cardiovascular and abdominal health,” that it was “preventitive,” and that Trump remained in “excellent overall health.”) “It was just an MRI,” Trump\ntold reporters\n, insisting that the scan was not of his brain, “because I took a cognitive test and I aced it.”\nThis, of course, raised\nanother\nquestion: Why was Trump taking all these cognitive tests in the first place and bragging about them, no less? “Those are really hard, they’re really aptitude tests,”\nTrump told reporters\nin October, challenging Democrats\nAlexandria Ocasio-Cortez\nand\nJasmine Crockett\nto take what was likely a\nscreening test for dementia\n. “But they’re cognitive tests.”","attrs_markdown":"[Skip to main content](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/news\/story\/donald-trump-health-year-in-review#main-content)\n\n[SUBSCRIBE](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/v2\/offers\/vfa01034?source=Site_0_JNY_VYF_DESKTOP_GLOBAL_NAV_CTA_0_US_SUBSCRIPTION_RELAUNCH_MAR2026_ZZ_PANELA)\n\n[SUBSCRIBE](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/v2\/offers\/vfa01034?source=Site_0_JNY_VYF_DESKTOP_GLOBAL_NAV_CTA_0_US_SUBSCRIPTION_RELAUNCH_MAR2026_ZZ_PANELA)\n\n[Newsletters](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/newsletters?sourceCode=navbar)\n\nMenu\n\n[HOLLYWOOD](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/hollywood)\n\n[ARTS & CULTURE](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/culture)\n\n[POLITICS](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/news\/politics)\n\n[STYLE](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/style)\n\n[ROYALS](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/style\/royals)\n\n[Get unlimited access to *Vanity Fair*. Subscribe now](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/v2\/offers\/vfa01034?source=Site_0_JNY_VYF_DESKTOP_GLOBAL_LEADERBOARD_0_US_SUBSCRIPTION_RELAUNCH_MAR2026_ZZ_PANELA&redirectURL=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vanityfair.com%2Fnews%2Fstory%2Fdonald-trump-health-year-in-review)\n\n[HOLLYWOOD](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/hollywood)\n\n[AWARDS AND FILM FESTIVALS](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/hollywood\/award-season)[MOVIES](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/hollywood\/movies)[TV](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/hollywood\/television)[WHAT IS CINEMA?](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/hollywood\/what-is-cinema)[ALL HOLLYWOOD](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/hollywood)\n\n[ARTS & CULTURE](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/culture)\n\n[POLITICS](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/news\/politics)\n\n[STYLE](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/style)\n\n[FASHION](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/style\/fashion)[BEAUTY](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/style\/beauty)[ALL STYLE](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/style)\n\n[ROYALS](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/style\/royals)\n\n[BUSINESS](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/news\/business)\n\nMORE\n\n[VIDEO](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/video)\n\n[NEWSLETTERS](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/newsletters?sourceCode=hamburgernav)\n\n[PODCASTS](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/podcasts)\n\n[MAGAZINE ARCHIVE](https:\/\/archive.vanityfair.com\/)\n\n[VF SHOP](https:\/\/shop.vanityfair.com\/)\n\n[Search](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/search)\n\n[Subscribe](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/v2\/offers\/vfa01034?source=Site_0_JNY_VYF_NAV_DRAWER_0_US_SUBSCRIPTION_RELAUNCH_MAR2026_ZZ_PANELA)\n\n[Sign In](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/auth\/initiate?redirectURL=%2Fnews%2Fstory%2Fdonald-trump-health-year-in-review&source=VERSO_NAVIGATION)\n\n[![SUBSTANCE WITH SMILE \\<br\\> Subscribe to success our exclusive newsletter, full archive, and more.\\<br\\> Get your first month free \\<br\\> SUBSCRIBE](https:\/\/media.vanityfair.com\/photos\/69a1e556af9385ee90a2cb99\/original\/pass\/VYF_Subscription_Relaunch_2026__Rollover_300x200_2x.gif?format=original)](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/v2\/offers\/vfa01034?source=Site_0_JNY_VYF_DESKTOP_GLOBAL_NAV_ROLLOVER_0_US_SUBSCRIPTION_RELAUNCH_MAR2026_ZZ_PANELA)\n\n[**Subscribe to unlock your free month today**](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/v2\/offers\/vfa01034?source=Site_0_JNY_VYF_DESKTOP_PAYWALL_THIN_METER_ARTICLE_1_0_US_SUBSCRIPTION_RELAUNCH_MAR2026_ZZ_PANELA)\n\n“NEVER FELT BETTER”\n\n# In 2025, Trump Couldn’t Escape Questions About His Health\n***\n\nWhat’s going on with the president’s hands? Why can’t he stay awake during meetings? And why does he always seem to be taking cognitive tests? Let’s review.\n\n![](https:\/\/media.vanityfair.com\/photos\/62fe7adc2f607bd675877ac9\/1:1\/w_90%2Cc_limit\/A_Headshots_EricLutz_Revise.png)\n\nBy [Eric Lutz](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/contributor\/eric-lutz)\n\nDecember 16, 2025\n\n![Image may contain Donald Trump Adult Person Clothing Formal Wear Suit Accessories Tie Animal Bird Face and Head](https:\/\/media.vanityfair.com\/photos\/694175c1fe81b9c1d3edf9df\/master\/w_2560%2Cc_limit\/timeline-of-trumps-health-01.jpg)\n\nTrump during a roundtable in the Roosevelt Room, December 10, 2025.Aaron Schwartz\/CNP\/Bloomberg\/Getty Images.\n\nSave this story\n\nSave this story\n\n**Donald Trump** insists he’s *fine*—a paragon of health and vitality, in fact. And if you think otherwise? “It’s seditious, perhaps even treasonous,” in the president’s estimation.\n\n“I work very hard, probably harder than I have ever worked before,” Trump declared in a [Truth Social post](https:\/\/truthsocial.com\/@realDonaldTrump\/posts\/115692843128539904) last week, seemingly in response to a weeks-old [*New York Times* report](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/11\/25\/us\/politics\/trump-age-health.html) about the 79-year-old’s apparent decline in stamina. “I will know when I am ‘slowing up,’ but it’s not now!”\n\nOf course, his belated declaration of hardiness only drew more attention to his health—a subject of particular scrutiny during this first year of Trump’s second term. (“Mine is good,” Trump’s chief of staff, **Susie Wiles,** recently [told *Vanity Fair*](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/news\/story\/trump-susie-wiles-interview-exclusive-part-2) when asked about her health and that of the president. “His is great.”) What’s going on with his hands? Why is he seemingly dozing off during meetings? (Per Wiles: “He’s not asleep. He’s got his eyes closed and his head leaned back…and, you know, he’s fine.”) And why does he always seem to be taking cognitive tests? Here, we review the questions Trump has faced since January—and the fervent denials that have only kept speculation simmering.\n\n![Image may contain Electrical Device Microphone Crowd Person Body Part Finger Hand Adult and People](https:\/\/media.vanityfair.com\/photos\/694175c167dde75c4ba277f3\/master\/w_1600%2Cc_limit\/timeline-of-trumps-health-03.jpg)\n\nTrump wears a bandage on his right hand delivering remarks during an event at Mount Airy Casino Resort, December 9, 2025.Alex Wong\/Getty Images.\n\nMost Popular\n\n- [![Euphoria Premiere: Zendaya, Sydney Sweeney, Jacob Elordi, and More Were Together for the First Time in Years](https:\/\/media.vanityfair.com\/photos\/69d604c81793a50e2291d50b\/1:1\/w_120%2Ch_120%2Cc_limit\/undefined)](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/hollywood\/story\/euphoria-premiere-sam-levinson-zendaya-sydney-sweeney#intcid=_vanity-fair-right-rail_1e8c3067-949a-4904-b604-708e7a7a60f9_popular4-2)\n  \n  Television\n  \n  [*Euphoria* Premiere: Zendaya, Sydney Sweeney, Jacob Elordi, and More Were Together for the First Time in Years](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/hollywood\/story\/euphoria-premiere-sam-levinson-zendaya-sydney-sweeney#intcid=_vanity-fair-right-rail_1e8c3067-949a-4904-b604-708e7a7a60f9_popular4-2)\n  \n  By Rebecca Ford\n- [![Jeff Goldblum Answers the Proust Questionnaire](https:\/\/media.vanityfair.com\/photos\/69c3ee3555efcf326198db28\/1:1\/w_120%2Ch_120%2Cc_limit\/undefined)](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/hollywood\/story\/jeff-goldblum-proust-questionnaire#intcid=_vanity-fair-right-rail_1e8c3067-949a-4904-b604-708e7a7a60f9_popular4-2)\n  \n  Proust Questionnaire\n  \n  [Jeff Goldblum Answers the Proust Questionnaire](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/hollywood\/story\/jeff-goldblum-proust-questionnaire#intcid=_vanity-fair-right-rail_1e8c3067-949a-4904-b604-708e7a7a60f9_popular4-2)\n  \n  By Jeff Goldblum\n- [![Is Pamela Anderson the Next Great Lifestyle Guru?](https:\/\/media.vanityfair.com\/photos\/69d68e202990f68f0e79023f\/1:1\/w_120%2Ch_120%2Cc_limit\/undefined)](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/style\/story\/is-pamela-anderson-the-next-great-lifestyle-guru#intcid=_vanity-fair-right-rail_1e8c3067-949a-4904-b604-708e7a7a60f9_popular4-2)\n  \n  Style\n  \n  [Is Pamela Anderson the Next Great Lifestyle Guru?](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/style\/story\/is-pamela-anderson-the-next-great-lifestyle-guru#intcid=_vanity-fair-right-rail_1e8c3067-949a-4904-b604-708e7a7a60f9_popular4-2)\n  \n  By Elise Taylor\n\n## **The Hand Situation**\nLet’s start with Trump’s hands, which have repeatedly appeared bruised or discolored and have occasionally been covered with [Band-Aids](https:\/\/www.thedailybeast.com\/donald-trump-79-returns-with-mystery-addition-to-bruised-hand\/) or caked-on makeup—as seen [during his recent appearance at the White House Congressional Ball](https:\/\/www.the-independent.com\/news\/world\/americas\/us-politics\/donald-trump-bruised-hand-congressional-ball-b2883206.html). **Karoline Leavitt,** the White House press secretary, has said that the president’s hands are bruised “because he’s constantly working and shaking hands all day every day.”\n\nWatch Now:\n\n[Anne Hathaway Rewatches The Princess Diaries, The Devil Wears Prada & More](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/video\/watch\/scene-selection-vf-scene-selection-anne-hathaway-tied-to-cover)\n\n“President Trump is a man of the people,” [Leavitt explained](https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/donald-trump\/white-house-says-large-bruise-trumps-hand-shaking-hands-day-every-day-rcna193652) in February. “The president is literally constantly shaking hands,” [Leavitt reiterated](https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/atrupar.com\/post\/3m7qafnqse22o) this month.\n\nGet unlimited access to *Vanity Fair*.\n\nGet unlimited access to *Vanity Fair*.\n\n[Start your free trial](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/v2\/offers\/vfa01034?source=Site_0_JNY_VYF_DESKTOP_GLOBAL_IN_CONTENT_0_US_SUBSCRIPTION_RELAUNCH_MAR2026_ZZ_PANELA&redirectURL=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vanityfair.com%2Fnews%2Fstory%2Fdonald-trump-health-year-in-review)\n\n**Sean Barbabella,** physician to the president, also chalked up Trump’s hand bruises to his glad-handing habit, as well as an aspirin regimen. “President Trump remains in excellent health,” [Barbabella said](https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/briefings-statements\/2025\/07\/memorandum-from-the-physician-to-the-president\/) in a July memo. But many social media users (as well as doctors [who haven’t treated Trump](https:\/\/www.medpagetoday.com\/washington-watch\/washington-watch\/117177)) have questioned that explanation, speculating instead that the bruising and Band-Aids could be related to an undisclosed medical condition.\n\nTrump’s hands weren’t the only extremity to cause concern this year. That July memo from Barbabella was released after Trump’s ankles appeared swollen. He was ultimately diagnosed with [chronic venous insufficiency](https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/health\/4-things-to-know-about-trumps-diagnosis-of-chronic-venous-insufficiency), a blood-flow issue that can cause blood to collect in the legs.\n\n## **Where’s Trump?**\nTrump has been a ubiquitous figure in American life through the first year of his second presidency—except for a brief spell in late August, when he was conspicuously absent from the public eye and rumors took hold that he was seriously ill or [perhaps even dead](https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/politics\/how-donald-trumps-untimely-and-untrue-death-unfolded-on-social-media). The rumors, of course, were just rumors—Trump is very much alive. But they were supercharged by cryptic statements made by Vice President **JD Vance,** who spoke about his preparedness to take over for Trump should the need arise.\n\n“I feel very confident the president of the United States is in good shape,” Vance [told *USA Today*](https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/news\/politics\/2025\/08\/28\/vance-training-president-trump-good-health\/85852650007\/) in August. “And if, God forbid, there’s a terrible tragedy, I can’t think of better on-the-job training than what I’ve gotten over the last 200 days.”\n\nTrump, naturally, waved away the speculation: “NEVER FELT BETTER IN MY LIFE,” he [posted](https:\/\/truthsocial.com\/@realDonaldTrump\/posts\/115125318282199234) online, along with a [week-old image of himself golfing](https:\/\/www.newsweek.com\/donald-trump-health-photos-2122478) with the former NFL coach and commentator **Jon Gruden,** after the speculation had already reached a fever pitch.\n\n## **At Another Checkup?**\nIn October, [Leavitt said](https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/donald-trump\/trump-get-routine-yearly-medical-check-second-6-months-rcna236538) Trump would be getting a “routine yearly checkup” at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center—his second “yearly” checkup in six months. That raised a question: Was something going on that the White House wasn’t coming forward with?\n\nLate last month, Trump made reference to an MRI he’d undergone at Walter Reed—without saying why he’d had the scan in the first place. (In December, [the White House released a letter](https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/trump-mri-abdomen-heart-white-house-says\/) in which Barbabella said that imaging was done to evaluate the president’s “cardiovascular and abdominal health,” that it was “preventitive,” and that Trump remained in “excellent overall health.”) “It was just an MRI,” Trump [told reporters](https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/trump-mri-abdomen-heart-white-house-says\/), insisting that the scan was not of his brain, “because I took a cognitive test and I aced it.”\n\nThis, of course, raised *another* question: Why was Trump taking all these cognitive tests in the first place and bragging about them, no less? “Those are really hard, they’re really aptitude tests,” [Trump told reporters](https:\/\/newrepublic.com\/post\/202291\/trump-dementia-test-shutdown) in October, challenging Democrats **Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez** and **Jasmine Crockett** to take what was likely a [screening test for dementia](https:\/\/people.com\/donald-trump-mistakes-dementia-screening-for-iq-test-11837935). “But they’re cognitive tests.”\n\nMost Popular\n\n- [![Euphoria Premiere: Zendaya, Sydney Sweeney, Jacob Elordi, and More Were Together for the First Time in Years](https:\/\/media.vanityfair.com\/photos\/69d604c81793a50e2291d50b\/1:1\/w_120%2Ch_120%2Cc_limit\/undefined)](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/hollywood\/story\/euphoria-premiere-sam-levinson-zendaya-sydney-sweeney#intcid=_vanity-fair-right-rail_1e8c3067-949a-4904-b604-708e7a7a60f9_popular4-2)\n  \n  Television\n  \n  [*Euphoria* Premiere: Zendaya, Sydney Sweeney, Jacob Elordi, and More Were Together for the First Time in Years](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/hollywood\/story\/euphoria-premiere-sam-levinson-zendaya-sydney-sweeney#intcid=_vanity-fair-right-rail_1e8c3067-949a-4904-b604-708e7a7a60f9_popular4-2)\n  \n  By Rebecca Ford\n- [![Jeff Goldblum Answers the Proust Questionnaire](https:\/\/media.vanityfair.com\/photos\/69c3ee3555efcf326198db28\/1:1\/w_120%2Ch_120%2Cc_limit\/undefined)](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/hollywood\/story\/jeff-goldblum-proust-questionnaire#intcid=_vanity-fair-right-rail_1e8c3067-949a-4904-b604-708e7a7a60f9_popular4-2)\n  \n  Proust Questionnaire\n  \n  [Jeff Goldblum Answers the Proust Questionnaire](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/hollywood\/story\/jeff-goldblum-proust-questionnaire#intcid=_vanity-fair-right-rail_1e8c3067-949a-4904-b604-708e7a7a60f9_popular4-2)\n  \n  By Jeff Goldblum\n- [![Is Pamela Anderson the Next Great Lifestyle Guru?](https:\/\/media.vanityfair.com\/photos\/69d68e202990f68f0e79023f\/1:1\/w_120%2Ch_120%2Cc_limit\/undefined)](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/style\/story\/is-pamela-anderson-the-next-great-lifestyle-guru#intcid=_vanity-fair-right-rail_1e8c3067-949a-4904-b604-708e7a7a60f9_popular4-2)\n  \n  Style\n  \n  [Is Pamela Anderson the Next Great Lifestyle Guru?](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/style\/story\/is-pamela-anderson-the-next-great-lifestyle-guru#intcid=_vanity-fair-right-rail_1e8c3067-949a-4904-b604-708e7a7a60f9_popular4-2)\n  \n  By Elise Taylor\n\n![Image may contain Donald Trump Accessories Formal Wear Tie Clothing Suit Adult Person Face Head and Photography](https:\/\/media.vanityfair.com\/photos\/694175c1fe81b9c1d3edf9de\/master\/w_1600%2Cc_limit\/timeline-of-trumps-health-02.jpg)\n\nTrump attends a meeting in the Cabinet Room, December 02, 2025.Chip Somodevilla\/Getty Images.\n## **Seemingly Sleeping on the Job**\nTrump—who made attacks on “Sleepy” **Joe Biden,** his predecessor, a hallmark of his successful 2024 campaign—has appeared to doze off in public multiple times this year, including during a Cabinet meeting that he opened by criticizing media coverage of his hardiness.\n\n“I’ll let you know when there’s something wrong. There will be someday,” [Trump said](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/12\/02\/us\/politics\/trump-sleep-cabinet-meeting.html) at the top of the meeting. “That’s going to happen to all of us. But right now I think I’m sharper than I was 25 years ago.” That was before he seemed to nod off.\n\nThe realities of aging do, indeed, catch up to all of us. The question is whether those realities are catching up to Trump—the oldest person ever to take the oath of office—in a way that is interfering with his job. And this is where things get tricky: Though publicly, at least, Trump’s apparent decline has been less obvious than Biden’s, that’s partly because he’s seemed kind of [physically](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/news\/2020\/06\/trump-claims-victory-over-very-slippery-ramp?srsltid=AfmBOooGCUiKqYUa2Iwhy4fLWDwUfZIYB-TCVxEQdKGSv87nRsQXwyNb) and [cognitively](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/hollywood\/2020\/07\/seth-meyers-trump-cognitive-test?srsltid=AfmBOoo_LT23SmbJ-xput8fW1v_gqwEQNYMPVNvlzohK9JoqOGmnsinS) suspect for much of his political life. How can we tell when he’s losing a step, and when he’s just being Trump?\n\nThe *Times* explored those nuances in the November 25 report that so infuriated Trump, painting a portrait of a man who is “the Energizer Bunny of presidential politics,” but also struggling to sustain that image of strength and stamina. The story seems to have touched a nerve. “They are true Enemies of the People,” Trump wrote of the *Times* and other media outlets on December 9, “and we should do something about it.”\n\n## More Great Stories From *Vanity Fair*\n- Everything Trump Needs to Know to Broker a Deal With [Xi Jinping](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/news\/story\/trump-xi-jinping)\n- The Mansion, the Heiress, the Jewel Heist, and Me: [A Bel-Air Fairytale](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/culture\/story\/jewel-heist-bel-air)\n- All the Drama Surrounding *The Drama,* [Explained](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/hollywood\/story\/zendaya-and-robert-pattinsons-the-drama-film-review)\n- A Complete List of [Meghan and Harry’s Creative Projects](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/style\/story\/a-complete-list-of-meghan-and-harrys-creative-projects-from-documentaries-to-unrealized-podcasts)\n- The High-Stakes Gambler, and Self-Styled Vigilante, at the Center of [Paramount’s Legal Drama](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/hollywood\/story\/rj-cipriani-jeff-shell-paramount-lawsuit)\n- Kiss Kiss Bang Bang: [Glock’s Wild Succession Saga](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/news\/story\/glock-guns-family-feud)\n- The Saga That Sent the [Chess World](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/culture\/story\/magnus-carsen-chess-excerpt) Spinning\n- The [Water Polo Scandal](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/news\/story\/water-polo-scandal-harvard-westlake) That Rocked LA’s Most Elite Private School\n- [Lindsey Vonn](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/news\/story\/lindsey-vonn-cover-story) on Life After Her Horrifying Crash\n- [Kylie Jenner](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/hollywood\/story\/kylie-jenner) Enters Her Hollywood Era\n- From the Archive: [What Really Happened the Night of Joey Comunale’s Murder](https:\/\/archive.vanityfair.com\/article\/2020\/5\/murder-at-sutton-place)\n\n[![](https:\/\/media.vanityfair.com\/photos\/62fe7adc2f607bd675877ac9\/1:1\/w_90%2Cc_limit\/A_Headshots_EricLutz_Revise.png)](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/contributor\/eric-lutz)\n\nEric Lutz\n\n[Eric Lutz](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/contributor\/eric-lutz) is a contributing editor at *Vanity Fair*, where he has been covering national affairs since 2018. He chronicles the chaos of Trump era politics, reporting on the issues, ideas, and personalities driving the day. He has also written for publications like *The Guardian* and *Rolling Stone,* and serves ... [Read More](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/contributor\/eric-lutz)\n\nRead More\n\n[![The Humiliation of Tulsi Gabbard](https:\/\/media.vanityfair.com\/photos\/69bc5a4481423c5f1f99f5ef\/4:3\/w_1200%2Cc_limit\/undefined)](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/news\/story\/tulsi-gabbard-iran-war-trump#intcid=_vanity-fair-article-bottom-recirc_3f7787f6-2ed6-43e6-a0a1-841bb44cb20d_text2vec1)\n\nPolitics\n\n[The Humiliation of Tulsi Gabbard](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/news\/story\/tulsi-gabbard-iran-war-trump#intcid=_vanity-fair-article-bottom-recirc_3f7787f6-2ed6-43e6-a0a1-841bb44cb20d_text2vec1)\n\nTrump’s director of national intelligence has spent her career arguing against a war with Iran. Now, she’s the public face for one, and her former allies are furious.\n\nBy Aidan McLaughlin\n\n[![James Fishback Has Seized the Gen Z Right. Now He Thinks He Can Win Florida.](https:\/\/media.vanityfair.com\/photos\/69b04138ae8c5e4ce278aeda\/4:3\/w_1200%2Cc_limit\/undefined)](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/news\/story\/james-fishback-florida-gen-z-online-right#intcid=_vanity-fair-article-bottom-recirc_3f7787f6-2ed6-43e6-a0a1-841bb44cb20d_text2vec1)\n\nPolitics\n\n[James Fishback Has Seized the Gen Z Right. Now He Thinks He Can Win Florida.](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/news\/story\/james-fishback-florida-gen-z-online-right#intcid=_vanity-fair-article-bottom-recirc_3f7787f6-2ed6-43e6-a0a1-841bb44cb20d_text2vec1)\n\n“We’ve broken into the mainstream,” the long-shot Republican candidate for governor tells *Vanity Fair*, as influencers from Andrew Tate to Nick Fuentes line up behind him.\n\nBy Dan Adler\n\n[![Robert Mueller, Former FBI Head And Donald Trump Investigator, Dead At 81](https:\/\/media.vanityfair.com\/photos\/69bed9ea67e433de89e0426b\/4:3\/w_1200%2Cc_limit\/undefined)](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/news\/story\/robert-mueller-dead-at-81#intcid=_vanity-fair-article-bottom-recirc_3f7787f6-2ed6-43e6-a0a1-841bb44cb20d_text2vec1)\n\nNews\n\n[Robert Mueller, Former FBI Head And Donald Trump Investigator, Dead At 81](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/news\/story\/robert-mueller-dead-at-81#intcid=_vanity-fair-article-bottom-recirc_3f7787f6-2ed6-43e6-a0a1-841bb44cb20d_text2vec1)\n\nRobert Mueller, the head of the FBI for 12 years and leader of an inconclusive criminal investigation into President Donald Trump's alleged ties to Russia, died on Friday at age 81.\n\nBy Eve Batey\n\n[![Glenn Beck’s AI George Washington Is a Right Wing Sexual Fantasy](https:\/\/media.vanityfair.com\/photos\/69baf37a25a2e0436189cac4\/4:3\/w_1200%2Cc_limit\/undefined)](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/news\/story\/glenn-becks-ai-george-washington#intcid=_vanity-fair-article-bottom-recirc_3f7787f6-2ed6-43e6-a0a1-841bb44cb20d_text2vec1)\n\nNews\n\n[Glenn Beck’s AI George Washington Is a Right Wing Sexual Fantasy](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/news\/story\/glenn-becks-ai-george-washington#intcid=_vanity-fair-article-bottom-recirc_3f7787f6-2ed6-43e6-a0a1-841bb44cb20d_text2vec1)\n\nA presidential historian factchecks the historically inaccurate digital president, who has been artificially enhanced with modern-day aesthetics and ideas.\n\nBy Alexis Coe\n\n[![Trump Will Take Control of the Midterms\\&\\#8211;If This Florida Lawyer Gets His Way](https:\/\/media.vanityfair.com\/photos\/69b029d5abf75a5968f1f07a\/4:3\/w_1200%2Cc_limit\/undefined)](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/news\/story\/trump-will-take-control-of-the-midterms-if-this-florida-lawyer-gets-his-way#intcid=_vanity-fair-article-bottom-recirc_3f7787f6-2ed6-43e6-a0a1-841bb44cb20d_text2vec1)\n\nNews\n\n[Trump Will Take Control of the Midterms–If This Florida Lawyer Gets His Way](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/news\/story\/trump-will-take-control-of-the-midterms-if-this-florida-lawyer-gets-his-way#intcid=_vanity-fair-article-bottom-recirc_3f7787f6-2ed6-43e6-a0a1-841bb44cb20d_text2vec1)\n\n“Foreign interests are putting their thumb on the scale of our elections,” Peter Ticktin claims. Senator Mark Warner is answering with a “prebunking” campaign.\n\nBy Chris Smith\n\n[![Donald Trump, Pete Hegseth and the TikTokification of War](https:\/\/media.vanityfair.com\/photos\/69c56d95100ec7a7c74c28cb\/4:3\/w_1200%2Cc_limit\/undefined)](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/news\/story\/trump-iran-war-bombing-videos#intcid=_vanity-fair-article-bottom-recirc_3f7787f6-2ed6-43e6-a0a1-841bb44cb20d_text2vec1)\n\nPolitics\n\n[Donald Trump, Pete Hegseth and the TikTokification of War](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/news\/story\/trump-iran-war-bombing-videos#intcid=_vanity-fair-article-bottom-recirc_3f7787f6-2ed6-43e6-a0a1-841bb44cb20d_text2vec1)\n\nPresident Trump's view of the war is reportedly informed by a daily diet of short-form bombing videos—and by rosy Fox News coverage. No wonder he thinks the war is won. Meanwhile, his Defense Secretary seems to view violence as its own end.\n\nBy Aidan McLaughlin\n\n[![CPAC Used to Be an “Absolute Rager.” Now, Some Young Conservatives “Don’t Even Know” What It Is](https:\/\/media.vanityfair.com\/photos\/69c6f152100ec7a7c74c2e54\/4:3\/w_1200%2Cc_limit\/undefined)](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/news\/story\/cpac-2026-young-conservatives#intcid=_vanity-fair-article-bottom-recirc_3f7787f6-2ed6-43e6-a0a1-841bb44cb20d_text2vec1)\n\nPolitics\n\n[CPAC Used to Be an “Absolute Rager.” Now, Some Young Conservatives “Don’t Even Know” What It Is](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/news\/story\/cpac-2026-young-conservatives#intcid=_vanity-fair-article-bottom-recirc_3f7787f6-2ed6-43e6-a0a1-841bb44cb20d_text2vec1)\n\nAs the annual conference descends on Texas, what claims to be the “largest and most influential gathering of conservatives in the world” has fallen flat with younger Republicans.\n\nBy Olivia Empson\n\n[![“I Don’t Worry About Markets”: Trump Talks to Vanity Fair The Day After His Iran Address](https:\/\/media.vanityfair.com\/photos\/69cecd099f506c1289461ee5\/4:3\/w_1200%2Cc_limit\/undefined)](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/news\/story\/trump-iran-war-white-house-address-interview#intcid=_vanity-fair-article-bottom-recirc_3f7787f6-2ed6-43e6-a0a1-841bb44cb20d_text2vec1)\n\nPolitics\n\n[“I Don’t Worry About Markets”: Trump Talks to *Vanity Fair* The Day After His Iran Address](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/news\/story\/trump-iran-war-white-house-address-interview#intcid=_vanity-fair-article-bottom-recirc_3f7787f6-2ed6-43e6-a0a1-841bb44cb20d_text2vec1)\n\nThe president delivered his first White House address to the nation on the war in Iran this week. In an interview with *Vanity Fair,* over a background track of Fox News programming, he touted his supposed triumphs.\n\nBy Aidan McLaughlin\n\n[![Gloria Steinem on Her New Memoir, An Unexpected Life: “Not Sure I Saw Any of It Coming”](https:\/\/media.vanityfair.com\/photos\/69c2acee3a5b08b2dd2d02bc\/4:3\/w_1200%2Cc_limit\/undefined)](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/culture\/story\/gloria-steinem-an-unexpected-life-memoir-book-exclusive-interview#intcid=_vanity-fair-article-bottom-recirc_3f7787f6-2ed6-43e6-a0a1-841bb44cb20d_text2vec1)\n\nCulture\n\n[Gloria Steinem on Her New Memoir, *An Unexpected Life*: “Not Sure I Saw Any of It Coming”](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/culture\/story\/gloria-steinem-an-unexpected-life-memoir-book-exclusive-interview#intcid=_vanity-fair-article-bottom-recirc_3f7787f6-2ed6-43e6-a0a1-841bb44cb20d_text2vec1)\n\nIn an exclusive cover preview, the feminist icon reflects on reproductive rights, Donald Trump, and her remarkable life of advocacy.\n\nBy Savannah Walsh\n\n[![Can a Pro-Tech Podcast Solve OpenAI’s PR Woes?](https:\/\/media.vanityfair.com\/photos\/694444a97c3fd594f22d61bb\/4:3\/w_1200%2Cc_limit\/undefined)](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/news\/story\/openai-tbpn-podcast#intcid=_vanity-fair-article-bottom-recirc_3f7787f6-2ed6-43e6-a0a1-841bb44cb20d_text2vec1)\n\nBusiness\n\n[Can a Pro-Tech Podcast Solve OpenAI’s PR Woes?](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/news\/story\/openai-tbpn-podcast#intcid=_vanity-fair-article-bottom-recirc_3f7787f6-2ed6-43e6-a0a1-841bb44cb20d_text2vec1)\n\nThis winter, OpenAI hit a comms rock bottom. Will its acquisition of the cult favorite show *TBPN* be enough to turn it around?\n\nBy Julia Black\n\n[![Marilyn Monroe’s Nudes Made Her Notorious. “Surprisingly Good” Acting Made Her a Star.](https:\/\/media.vanityfair.com\/photos\/69d3f5452c4b38bec4759462\/4:3\/w_1200%2Cc_limit\/undefined)](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/hollywood\/story\/marilyn-monroe-acting#intcid=_vanity-fair-article-bottom-recirc_3f7787f6-2ed6-43e6-a0a1-841bb44cb20d_text2vec1)\n\nHollywood\n\n[Marilyn Monroe’s Nudes Made Her Notorious. “Surprisingly Good” Acting Made Her a Star.](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/hollywood\/story\/marilyn-monroe-acting#intcid=_vanity-fair-article-bottom-recirc_3f7787f6-2ed6-43e6-a0a1-841bb44cb20d_text2vec1)\n\nIn an exclusive excerpt from, *The Marilyn Monroe Century: From Norma Jeane to Icon―A Story in Photographs,* trace the icon’s meteoric rise from scandal to stardom. Plus, a selection of previously unpublished photographs by Bruno Bernard.\n\nBy Joshua John Miller\n\n[![No Kings Protests: Bruce Springsteen, Jane Fonda, and Robert De Niro Turn Out Against Donald Trump](https:\/\/media.vanityfair.com\/photos\/69c93477bc53344f43aca183\/4:3\/w_1200%2Cc_limit\/undefined)](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/news\/story\/no-kings-jane-fonda-bruce-springsteen-robert-deniro#intcid=_vanity-fair-article-bottom-recirc_3f7787f6-2ed6-43e6-a0a1-841bb44cb20d_text2vec1)\n\nNews\n\n[No Kings Protests: Bruce Springsteen, Jane Fonda, and Robert De Niro Turn Out Against Donald Trump](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/news\/story\/no-kings-jane-fonda-bruce-springsteen-robert-deniro#intcid=_vanity-fair-article-bottom-recirc_3f7787f6-2ed6-43e6-a0a1-841bb44cb20d_text2vec1)\n\nMore than 3,000 demonstrations were held Saturday in locations across the world, all to denounce the war in Iran and the policies of the Trump administration.\n\nBy Diego Parrado\n\n[![SUBSTANCE WITH SMILE \\<br\\> Subscribe to success our exclusive newsletter, full archive, and more.\\<br\\> Get your first month free \\<br\\> SUBSCRIBE](https:\/\/media.vanityfair.com\/photos\/69a1e5d2513a9eba80b45b9e\/original\/pass\/VYF_Subscription_Relaunch_2026_In-Content_940x140_2x.gif?format=original)](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/v2\/offers\/vfa01034?source=Site_0_JNY_VYF_DESKTOP_GLOBAL_FOOTER_0_US_SUBSCRIPTION_RELAUNCH_MAR2026_ZZ_PANELA)\n\n[![Vanity Fair](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/verso\/static\/vanityfair-global\/assets\/VF_Logo_Footer.svg)](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/)\n\nMore from Vanity Fair\n\n- [Newsletters](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/newsletters)\n- [Subscribe](https:\/\/adclick.g.doubleclick.net\/pcs\/click?xai=AKAOjssc5DpG2q7MGxrHMxZezKOqswtMDF6_09HkiL8uAGJKzDTpCVW6u4UMCm4cL_-yuCxwP4NtVt3VRHRbYGWjqr5bEJqjgb8o7ZwYTZLv7be03Ud32Ws7rPuSILf77sZfMXmaQU5wrzkjmsjieC1LaXQPHaCP_F3b9y1NSpGg545d6bHVgEWn-P79Wy5krMsQMzpnXUtuyesyRoS1H6XASPlzYj1R6pnyx7SwSxVujQI0SK8zvkVajFRtvuA9cN2z&sai=AMfl-YSgoG5Ci2-vXdDHYcjjqiWP0vmndq6Yk5kU0PZackIzP3RJJOM9ej40QDwCdG-yKtsKE2a0dmb4VrGODuIzTIcqpJp66x74CYADNhU-vOKWpHOfUuMuuFi_jGJNxkb_ubRF7ANFMZ2NasI2XdSW&sig=Cg0ArKJSzE-e_pQ-tYYfEAE&urlfix=1&adurl=https:\/\/subscribe.vanityfair.com\/subscribe\/vanityfair\/118234%3Fsource%3DAMS_VYF_GLOBAL_SITE_FOOTER_SUBSCRIBE_1mFREETEST_TEST%26pos_name%3DAMS_VYF_GLOBAL_SITE_FOOTER_SUBSCRIBE)\n- [Digital Edition](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/app)\n- [Inside the Issue](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/credits)\n- [About Vanity Fair](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/info\/about-vanity-fair)\n- [FAQ](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/info\/faq)\n\nContact\n\n- [Contact VF](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/contact\/contact-us)\n- [Manage Account](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/account\/profile)\n- [Advertising](https:\/\/www.condenast.com\/brands\/vanity-fair)\n- [Careers](https:\/\/www.condenast.com\/careers)\n\n- [User Agreement](https:\/\/www.condenast.com\/user-agreement\/)\n- [Privacy Policy](http:\/\/www.condenast.com\/privacy-policy#privacypolicy)\n- [Your California Privacy Rights](http:\/\/www.condenast.com\/privacy-policy#privacypolicy-california)\n- [Condé Nast Store](https:\/\/condenaststore.com\/~\/vanity-fair?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=VanityFair&utm_content=FOOTER&AID=1244593740)\n- [VF Media Kit](http:\/\/www.condenastmediakit.com\/vf\/)\n- [Accessibility Help](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/accessibility-help)\n- [Site Map](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/sitemap)\n- Your Privacy Choices\n\n© 2026 Condé Nast. All rights reserved. *Vanity Fair* may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Condé Nast. [Ad Choices](http:\/\/www.aboutads.info\/)\n\nCN Entertainment\n\n###### Select international site\nUnited States\n\n- [Italy](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.it\/)\n- [Spain](https:\/\/www.revistavanityfair.es\/)\n- [France](https:\/\/www.vanityfair.fr\/)","attrs_readable_markdown":"## **The Hand Situation**\nLet’s start with Trump’s hands, which have repeatedly appeared bruised or discolored and have occasionally been covered with [Band-Aids](https:\/\/www.thedailybeast.com\/donald-trump-79-returns-with-mystery-addition-to-bruised-hand\/) or caked-on makeup—as seen [during his recent appearance at the White House Congressional Ball](https:\/\/www.the-independent.com\/news\/world\/americas\/us-politics\/donald-trump-bruised-hand-congressional-ball-b2883206.html). **Karoline Leavitt,** the White House press secretary, has said that the president’s hands are bruised “because he’s constantly working and shaking hands all day every day.”\n\n“President Trump is a man of the people,” [Leavitt explained](https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/donald-trump\/white-house-says-large-bruise-trumps-hand-shaking-hands-day-every-day-rcna193652) in February. “The president is literally constantly shaking hands,” [Leavitt reiterated](https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/atrupar.com\/post\/3m7qafnqse22o) this month.\n\n**Sean Barbabella,** physician to the president, also chalked up Trump’s hand bruises to his glad-handing habit, as well as an aspirin regimen. “President Trump remains in excellent health,” [Barbabella said](https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/briefings-statements\/2025\/07\/memorandum-from-the-physician-to-the-president\/) in a July memo. But many social media users (as well as doctors [who haven’t treated Trump](https:\/\/www.medpagetoday.com\/washington-watch\/washington-watch\/117177)) have questioned that explanation, speculating instead that the bruising and Band-Aids could be related to an undisclosed medical condition.\n\nTrump’s hands weren’t the only extremity to cause concern this year. That July memo from Barbabella was released after Trump’s ankles appeared swollen. He was ultimately diagnosed with [chronic venous insufficiency](https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/health\/4-things-to-know-about-trumps-diagnosis-of-chronic-venous-insufficiency), a blood-flow issue that can cause blood to collect in the legs.\n\n## **Where’s Trump?**\nTrump has been a ubiquitous figure in American life through the first year of his second presidency—except for a brief spell in late August, when he was conspicuously absent from the public eye and rumors took hold that he was seriously ill or [perhaps even dead](https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/politics\/how-donald-trumps-untimely-and-untrue-death-unfolded-on-social-media). The rumors, of course, were just rumors—Trump is very much alive. But they were supercharged by cryptic statements made by Vice President **JD Vance,** who spoke about his preparedness to take over for Trump should the need arise.\n\n“I feel very confident the president of the United States is in good shape,” Vance [told *USA Today*](https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/news\/politics\/2025\/08\/28\/vance-training-president-trump-good-health\/85852650007\/) in August. “And if, God forbid, there’s a terrible tragedy, I can’t think of better on-the-job training than what I’ve gotten over the last 200 days.”\n\nTrump, naturally, waved away the speculation: “NEVER FELT BETTER IN MY LIFE,” he [posted](https:\/\/truthsocial.com\/@realDonaldTrump\/posts\/115125318282199234) online, along with a [week-old image of himself golfing](https:\/\/www.newsweek.com\/donald-trump-health-photos-2122478) with the former NFL coach and commentator **Jon Gruden,** after the speculation had already reached a fever pitch.\n\n## **At Another Checkup?**\nIn October, [Leavitt said](https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/donald-trump\/trump-get-routine-yearly-medical-check-second-6-months-rcna236538) Trump would be getting a “routine yearly checkup” at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center—his second “yearly” checkup in six months. That raised a question: Was something going on that the White House wasn’t coming forward with?\n\nLate last month, Trump made reference to an MRI he’d undergone at Walter Reed—without saying why he’d had the scan in the first place. (In December, [the White House released a letter](https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/trump-mri-abdomen-heart-white-house-says\/) in which Barbabella said that imaging was done to evaluate the president’s “cardiovascular and abdominal health,” that it was “preventitive,” and that Trump remained in “excellent overall health.”) “It was just an MRI,” Trump [told reporters](https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/trump-mri-abdomen-heart-white-house-says\/), insisting that the scan was not of his brain, “because I took a cognitive test and I aced it.”\n\nThis, of course, raised *another* question: Why was Trump taking all these cognitive tests in the first place and bragging about them, no less? “Those are really hard, they’re really aptitude tests,” [Trump told reporters](https:\/\/newrepublic.com\/post\/202291\/trump-dementia-test-shutdown) in October, challenging Democrats **Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez** and **Jasmine Crockett** to take what was likely a [screening test for dementia](https:\/\/people.com\/donald-trump-mistakes-dementia-screening-for-iq-test-11837935). “But they’re cognitive tests.”","meta_canonical":null}

3. Robots.txt Check

Query:

Response:

4. Spam/Ban Check

Query:

Response:

5. Seen Status Check

ℹ️ Skipped - page is already crawled

📄

INDEXABLE

✅

CRAWLED

9 days ago

🤖

ROBOTS ALLOWED

Page Info Filters

Filter	Status	Condition	Details
HTTP status	PASS	`download_http_code = 200`	HTTP 200
Age cutoff	PASS	`download_stamp > now() - 6 MONTH`	0.3 months ago
History drop	PASS	`isNull(history_drop_reason)`	No drop reason
Spam/ban	PASS	`fh_dont_index != 1 AND ml_spam_score = 0`	ml_spam_score=0
Canonical	PASS	`meta_canonical IS NULL OR = '' OR = src_unparsed`	Not set

Page Details

Property	Value
URL	https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/donald-trump-health-year-in-review
Last Crawled	2026-04-10 00:46:02 (9 days ago)
First Indexed	2025-12-16 20:39:08 (4 months ago)
HTTP Status Code	200
Meta Title	In 2025, Trump Couldn’t Escape Questions About His Health \| Vanity Fair
Meta Description	What’s going on with the president’s hands? Why can’t he stay awake during meetings? And why does he always seem to be taking cognitive tests? Let’s review.
Meta Canonical	null
Boilerpipe Text	The Hand Situation Let’s start with Trump’s hands, which have repeatedly appeared bruised or discolored and have occasionally been covered with Band-Aids or caked-on makeup—as seen during his recent appearance at the White House Congressional Ball . Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, has said that the president’s hands are bruised “because he’s constantly working and shaking hands all day every day.” “President Trump is a man of the people,” Leavitt explained in February. “The president is literally constantly shaking hands,” Leavitt reiterated this month. Sean Barbabella, physician to the president, also chalked up Trump’s hand bruises to his glad-handing habit, as well as an aspirin regimen. “President Trump remains in excellent health,” Barbabella said in a July memo. But many social media users (as well as doctors who haven’t treated Trump ) have questioned that explanation, speculating instead that the bruising and Band-Aids could be related to an undisclosed medical condition. Trump’s hands weren’t the only extremity to cause concern this year. That July memo from Barbabella was released after Trump’s ankles appeared swollen. He was ultimately diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency , a blood-flow issue that can cause blood to collect in the legs. Where’s Trump? Trump has been a ubiquitous figure in American life through the first year of his second presidency—except for a brief spell in late August, when he was conspicuously absent from the public eye and rumors took hold that he was seriously ill or perhaps even dead . The rumors, of course, were just rumors—Trump is very much alive. But they were supercharged by cryptic statements made by Vice President JD Vance, who spoke about his preparedness to take over for Trump should the need arise. “I feel very confident the president of the United States is in good shape,” Vance told USA Today in August. “And if, God forbid, there’s a terrible tragedy, I can’t think of better on-the-job training than what I’ve gotten over the last 200 days.” Trump, naturally, waved away the speculation: “NEVER FELT BETTER IN MY LIFE,” he posted online, along with a week-old image of himself golfing with the former NFL coach and commentator Jon Gruden, after the speculation had already reached a fever pitch. At Another Checkup? In October, Leavitt said Trump would be getting a “routine yearly checkup” at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center—his second “yearly” checkup in six months. That raised a question: Was something going on that the White House wasn’t coming forward with? Late last month, Trump made reference to an MRI he’d undergone at Walter Reed—without saying why he’d had the scan in the first place. (In December, the White House released a letter in which Barbabella said that imaging was done to evaluate the president’s “cardiovascular and abdominal health,” that it was “preventitive,” and that Trump remained in “excellent overall health.”) “It was just an MRI,” Trump told reporters , insisting that the scan was not of his brain, “because I took a cognitive test and I aced it.” This, of course, raised another question: Why was Trump taking all these cognitive tests in the first place and bragging about them, no less? “Those are really hard, they’re really aptitude tests,” Trump told reporters in October, challenging Democrats Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Jasmine Crockett to take what was likely a screening test for dementia . “But they’re cognitive tests.”
Markdown	[Skip to main content](https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/donald-trump-health-year-in-review#main-content) [SUBSCRIBE](https://www.vanityfair.com/v2/offers/vfa01034?source=Site_0_JNY_VYF_DESKTOP_GLOBAL_NAV_CTA_0_US_SUBSCRIPTION_RELAUNCH_MAR2026_ZZ_PANELA) [SUBSCRIBE](https://www.vanityfair.com/v2/offers/vfa01034?source=Site_0_JNY_VYF_DESKTOP_GLOBAL_NAV_CTA_0_US_SUBSCRIPTION_RELAUNCH_MAR2026_ZZ_PANELA) [Newsletters](https://www.vanityfair.com/newsletters?sourceCode=navbar) Menu [HOLLYWOOD](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood) [ARTS & CULTURE](https://www.vanityfair.com/culture) [POLITICS](https://www.vanityfair.com/news/politics) [STYLE](https://www.vanityfair.com/style) [ROYALS](https://www.vanityfair.com/style/royals) [Get unlimited access to Vanity Fair. Subscribe now](https://www.vanityfair.com/v2/offers/vfa01034?source=Site_0_JNY_VYF_DESKTOP_GLOBAL_LEADERBOARD_0_US_SUBSCRIPTION_RELAUNCH_MAR2026_ZZ_PANELA&redirectURL=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vanityfair.com%2Fnews%2Fstory%2Fdonald-trump-health-year-in-review) [HOLLYWOOD](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood) [AWARDS AND FILM FESTIVALS](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/award-season)[MOVIES](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/movies)[TV](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/television)[WHAT IS CINEMA?](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/what-is-cinema)[ALL HOLLYWOOD](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood) [ARTS & CULTURE](https://www.vanityfair.com/culture) [POLITICS](https://www.vanityfair.com/news/politics) [STYLE](https://www.vanityfair.com/style) [FASHION](https://www.vanityfair.com/style/fashion)[BEAUTY](https://www.vanityfair.com/style/beauty)[ALL STYLE](https://www.vanityfair.com/style) [ROYALS](https://www.vanityfair.com/style/royals) [BUSINESS](https://www.vanityfair.com/news/business) MORE [VIDEO](https://www.vanityfair.com/video) [NEWSLETTERS](https://www.vanityfair.com/newsletters?sourceCode=hamburgernav) [PODCASTS](https://www.vanityfair.com/podcasts) [MAGAZINE ARCHIVE](https://archive.vanityfair.com/) [VF SHOP](https://shop.vanityfair.com/) [Search](https://www.vanityfair.com/search) [Subscribe](https://www.vanityfair.com/v2/offers/vfa01034?source=Site_0_JNY_VYF_NAV_DRAWER_0_US_SUBSCRIPTION_RELAUNCH_MAR2026_ZZ_PANELA) [Sign In](https://www.vanityfair.com/auth/initiate?redirectURL=%2Fnews%2Fstory%2Fdonald-trump-health-year-in-review&source=VERSO_NAVIGATION) [![SUBSTANCE WITH SMILE \<br\> Subscribe to success our exclusive newsletter, full archive, and more.\<br\> Get your first month free \<br\> SUBSCRIBE](https://media.vanityfair.com/photos/69a1e556af9385ee90a2cb99/original/pass/VYF_Subscription_Relaunch_2026__Rollover_300x200_2x.gif?format=original)](https://www.vanityfair.com/v2/offers/vfa01034?source=Site_0_JNY_VYF_DESKTOP_GLOBAL_NAV_ROLLOVER_0_US_SUBSCRIPTION_RELAUNCH_MAR2026_ZZ_PANELA) [Subscribe to unlock your free month today](https://www.vanityfair.com/v2/offers/vfa01034?source=Site_0_JNY_VYF_DESKTOP_PAYWALL_THIN_METER_ARTICLE_1_0_US_SUBSCRIPTION_RELAUNCH_MAR2026_ZZ_PANELA) “NEVER FELT BETTER” # In 2025, Trump Couldn’t Escape Questions About His Health * What’s going on with the president’s hands? Why can’t he stay awake during meetings? And why does he always seem to be taking cognitive tests? Let’s review. ![](https://media.vanityfair.com/photos/62fe7adc2f607bd675877ac9/1:1/w_90%2Cc_limit/A_Headshots_EricLutz_Revise.png) By [Eric Lutz](https://www.vanityfair.com/contributor/eric-lutz) December 16, 2025 ![Image may contain Donald Trump Adult Person Clothing Formal Wear Suit Accessories Tie Animal Bird Face and Head](https://media.vanityfair.com/photos/694175c1fe81b9c1d3edf9df/master/w_2560%2Cc_limit/timeline-of-trumps-health-01.jpg) Trump during a roundtable in the Roosevelt Room, December 10, 2025.Aaron Schwartz/CNP/Bloomberg/Getty Images. Save this story Save this story Donald Trump** insists he’s fine—a paragon of health and vitality, in fact. And if you think otherwise? “It’s seditious, perhaps even treasonous,” in the president’s estimation. “I work very hard, probably harder than I have ever worked before,” Trump declared in a [Truth Social post](https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115692843128539904) last week, seemingly in response to a weeks-old [New York Times report](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/25/us/politics/trump-age-health.html) about the 79-year-old’s apparent decline in stamina. “I will know when I am ‘slowing up,’ but it’s not now!” Of course, his belated declaration of hardiness only drew more attention to his health—a subject of particular scrutiny during this first year of Trump’s second term. (“Mine is good,” Trump’s chief of staff, Susie Wiles, recently [told Vanity Fair](https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/trump-susie-wiles-interview-exclusive-part-2) when asked about her health and that of the president. “His is great.”) What’s going on with his hands? Why is he seemingly dozing off during meetings? (Per Wiles: “He’s not asleep. He’s got his eyes closed and his head leaned back…and, you know, he’s fine.”) And why does he always seem to be taking cognitive tests? Here, we review the questions Trump has faced since January—and the fervent denials that have only kept speculation simmering. ![Image may contain Electrical Device Microphone Crowd Person Body Part Finger Hand Adult and People](https://media.vanityfair.com/photos/694175c167dde75c4ba277f3/master/w_1600%2Cc_limit/timeline-of-trumps-health-03.jpg) Trump wears a bandage on his right hand delivering remarks during an event at Mount Airy Casino Resort, December 9, 2025.Alex Wong/Getty Images. Most Popular - [![Euphoria Premiere: Zendaya, Sydney Sweeney, Jacob Elordi, and More Were Together for the First Time in Years](https://media.vanityfair.com/photos/69d604c81793a50e2291d50b/1:1/w_120%2Ch_120%2Cc_limit/undefined)](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/story/euphoria-premiere-sam-levinson-zendaya-sydney-sweeney#intcid=_vanity-fair-right-rail_1e8c3067-949a-4904-b604-708e7a7a60f9_popular4-2) Television [Euphoria Premiere: Zendaya, Sydney Sweeney, Jacob Elordi, and More Were Together for the First Time in Years](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/story/euphoria-premiere-sam-levinson-zendaya-sydney-sweeney#intcid=_vanity-fair-right-rail_1e8c3067-949a-4904-b604-708e7a7a60f9_popular4-2) By Rebecca Ford - [![Jeff Goldblum Answers the Proust Questionnaire](https://media.vanityfair.com/photos/69c3ee3555efcf326198db28/1:1/w_120%2Ch_120%2Cc_limit/undefined)](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/story/jeff-goldblum-proust-questionnaire#intcid=_vanity-fair-right-rail_1e8c3067-949a-4904-b604-708e7a7a60f9_popular4-2) Proust Questionnaire [Jeff Goldblum Answers the Proust Questionnaire](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/story/jeff-goldblum-proust-questionnaire#intcid=_vanity-fair-right-rail_1e8c3067-949a-4904-b604-708e7a7a60f9_popular4-2) By Jeff Goldblum - [![Is Pamela Anderson the Next Great Lifestyle Guru?](https://media.vanityfair.com/photos/69d68e202990f68f0e79023f/1:1/w_120%2Ch_120%2Cc_limit/undefined)](https://www.vanityfair.com/style/story/is-pamela-anderson-the-next-great-lifestyle-guru#intcid=_vanity-fair-right-rail_1e8c3067-949a-4904-b604-708e7a7a60f9_popular4-2) Style [Is Pamela Anderson the Next Great Lifestyle Guru?](https://www.vanityfair.com/style/story/is-pamela-anderson-the-next-great-lifestyle-guru#intcid=_vanity-fair-right-rail_1e8c3067-949a-4904-b604-708e7a7a60f9_popular4-2) By Elise Taylor ## The Hand Situation Let’s start with Trump’s hands, which have repeatedly appeared bruised or discolored and have occasionally been covered with [Band-Aids](https://www.thedailybeast.com/donald-trump-79-returns-with-mystery-addition-to-bruised-hand/) or caked-on makeup—as seen [during his recent appearance at the White House Congressional Ball](https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/donald-trump-bruised-hand-congressional-ball-b2883206.html). Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, has said that the president’s hands are bruised “because he’s constantly working and shaking hands all day every day.” Watch Now: [Anne Hathaway Rewatches The Princess Diaries, The Devil Wears Prada & More](https://www.vanityfair.com/video/watch/scene-selection-vf-scene-selection-anne-hathaway-tied-to-cover) “President Trump is a man of the people,” [Leavitt explained](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/white-house-says-large-bruise-trumps-hand-shaking-hands-day-every-day-rcna193652) in February. “The president is literally constantly shaking hands,” [Leavitt reiterated](https://bsky.app/profile/atrupar.com/post/3m7qafnqse22o) this month. Get unlimited access to Vanity Fair. Get unlimited access to Vanity Fair. [Start your free trial](https://www.vanityfair.com/v2/offers/vfa01034?source=Site_0_JNY_VYF_DESKTOP_GLOBAL_IN_CONTENT_0_US_SUBSCRIPTION_RELAUNCH_MAR2026_ZZ_PANELA&redirectURL=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vanityfair.com%2Fnews%2Fstory%2Fdonald-trump-health-year-in-review) Sean Barbabella, physician to the president, also chalked up Trump’s hand bruises to his glad-handing habit, as well as an aspirin regimen. “President Trump remains in excellent health,” [Barbabella said](https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/2025/07/memorandum-from-the-physician-to-the-president/) in a July memo. But many social media users (as well as doctors [who haven’t treated Trump](https://www.medpagetoday.com/washington-watch/washington-watch/117177)) have questioned that explanation, speculating instead that the bruising and Band-Aids could be related to an undisclosed medical condition. Trump’s hands weren’t the only extremity to cause concern this year. That July memo from Barbabella was released after Trump’s ankles appeared swollen. He was ultimately diagnosed with [chronic venous insufficiency](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/4-things-to-know-about-trumps-diagnosis-of-chronic-venous-insufficiency), a blood-flow issue that can cause blood to collect in the legs. ## Where’s Trump? Trump has been a ubiquitous figure in American life through the first year of his second presidency—except for a brief spell in late August, when he was conspicuously absent from the public eye and rumors took hold that he was seriously ill or [perhaps even dead](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/how-donald-trumps-untimely-and-untrue-death-unfolded-on-social-media). The rumors, of course, were just rumors—Trump is very much alive. But they were supercharged by cryptic statements made by Vice President JD Vance, who spoke about his preparedness to take over for Trump should the need arise. “I feel very confident the president of the United States is in good shape,” Vance [told USA Today](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/08/28/vance-training-president-trump-good-health/85852650007/) in August. “And if, God forbid, there’s a terrible tragedy, I can’t think of better on-the-job training than what I’ve gotten over the last 200 days.” Trump, naturally, waved away the speculation: “NEVER FELT BETTER IN MY LIFE,” he [posted](https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115125318282199234) online, along with a [week-old image of himself golfing](https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-health-photos-2122478) with the former NFL coach and commentator Jon Gruden, after the speculation had already reached a fever pitch. ## At Another Checkup? In October, [Leavitt said](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-get-routine-yearly-medical-check-second-6-months-rcna236538) Trump would be getting a “routine yearly checkup” at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center—his second “yearly” checkup in six months. That raised a question: Was something going on that the White House wasn’t coming forward with? Late last month, Trump made reference to an MRI he’d undergone at Walter Reed—without saying why he’d had the scan in the first place. (In December, [the White House released a letter](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-mri-abdomen-heart-white-house-says/) in which Barbabella said that imaging was done to evaluate the president’s “cardiovascular and abdominal health,” that it was “preventitive,” and that Trump remained in “excellent overall health.”) “It was just an MRI,” Trump [told reporters](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-mri-abdomen-heart-white-house-says/), insisting that the scan was not of his brain, “because I took a cognitive test and I aced it.” This, of course, raised another question: Why was Trump taking all these cognitive tests in the first place and bragging about them, no less? “Those are really hard, they’re really aptitude tests,” [Trump told reporters](https://newrepublic.com/post/202291/trump-dementia-test-shutdown) in October, challenging Democrats Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Jasmine Crockett to take what was likely a [screening test for dementia](https://people.com/donald-trump-mistakes-dementia-screening-for-iq-test-11837935). “But they’re cognitive tests.” Most Popular - [![Euphoria Premiere: Zendaya, Sydney Sweeney, Jacob Elordi, and More Were Together for the First Time in Years](https://media.vanityfair.com/photos/69d604c81793a50e2291d50b/1:1/w_120%2Ch_120%2Cc_limit/undefined)](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/story/euphoria-premiere-sam-levinson-zendaya-sydney-sweeney#intcid=_vanity-fair-right-rail_1e8c3067-949a-4904-b604-708e7a7a60f9_popular4-2) Television [Euphoria Premiere: Zendaya, Sydney Sweeney, Jacob Elordi, and More Were Together for the First Time in Years](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/story/euphoria-premiere-sam-levinson-zendaya-sydney-sweeney#intcid=_vanity-fair-right-rail_1e8c3067-949a-4904-b604-708e7a7a60f9_popular4-2) By Rebecca Ford - [![Jeff Goldblum Answers the Proust Questionnaire](https://media.vanityfair.com/photos/69c3ee3555efcf326198db28/1:1/w_120%2Ch_120%2Cc_limit/undefined)](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/story/jeff-goldblum-proust-questionnaire#intcid=_vanity-fair-right-rail_1e8c3067-949a-4904-b604-708e7a7a60f9_popular4-2) Proust Questionnaire [Jeff Goldblum Answers the Proust Questionnaire](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/story/jeff-goldblum-proust-questionnaire#intcid=_vanity-fair-right-rail_1e8c3067-949a-4904-b604-708e7a7a60f9_popular4-2) By Jeff Goldblum - [![Is Pamela Anderson the Next Great Lifestyle Guru?](https://media.vanityfair.com/photos/69d68e202990f68f0e79023f/1:1/w_120%2Ch_120%2Cc_limit/undefined)](https://www.vanityfair.com/style/story/is-pamela-anderson-the-next-great-lifestyle-guru#intcid=_vanity-fair-right-rail_1e8c3067-949a-4904-b604-708e7a7a60f9_popular4-2) Style [Is Pamela Anderson the Next Great Lifestyle Guru?](https://www.vanityfair.com/style/story/is-pamela-anderson-the-next-great-lifestyle-guru#intcid=_vanity-fair-right-rail_1e8c3067-949a-4904-b604-708e7a7a60f9_popular4-2) By Elise Taylor ![Image may contain Donald Trump Accessories Formal Wear Tie Clothing Suit Adult Person Face Head and Photography](https://media.vanityfair.com/photos/694175c1fe81b9c1d3edf9de/master/w_1600%2Cc_limit/timeline-of-trumps-health-02.jpg) Trump attends a meeting in the Cabinet Room, December 02, 2025.Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images. ## Seemingly Sleeping on the Job Trump—who made attacks on “Sleepy” Joe Biden, his predecessor, a hallmark of his successful 2024 campaign—has appeared to doze off in public multiple times this year, including during a Cabinet meeting that he opened by criticizing media coverage of his hardiness. “I’ll let you know when there’s something wrong. There will be someday,” [Trump said](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/02/us/politics/trump-sleep-cabinet-meeting.html) at the top of the meeting. “That’s going to happen to all of us. But right now I think I’m sharper than I was 25 years ago.” That was before he seemed to nod off. The realities of aging do, indeed, catch up to all of us. The question is whether those realities are catching up to Trump—the oldest person ever to take the oath of office—in a way that is interfering with his job. And this is where things get tricky: Though publicly, at least, Trump’s apparent decline has been less obvious than Biden’s, that’s partly because he’s seemed kind of [physically](https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2020/06/trump-claims-victory-over-very-slippery-ramp?srsltid=AfmBOooGCUiKqYUa2Iwhy4fLWDwUfZIYB-TCVxEQdKGSv87nRsQXwyNb) and [cognitively](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2020/07/seth-meyers-trump-cognitive-test?srsltid=AfmBOoo_LT23SmbJ-xput8fW1v_gqwEQNYMPVNvlzohK9JoqOGmnsinS) suspect for much of his political life. How can we tell when he’s losing a step, and when he’s just being Trump? The Times explored those nuances in the November 25 report that so infuriated Trump, painting a portrait of a man who is “the Energizer Bunny of presidential politics,” but also struggling to sustain that image of strength and stamina. The story seems to have touched a nerve. “They are true Enemies of the People,” Trump wrote of the Times and other media outlets on December 9, “and we should do something about it.” ## More Great Stories From Vanity Fair - Everything Trump Needs to Know to Broker a Deal With [Xi Jinping](https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/trump-xi-jinping) - The Mansion, the Heiress, the Jewel Heist, and Me: [A Bel-Air Fairytale](https://www.vanityfair.com/culture/story/jewel-heist-bel-air) - All the Drama Surrounding The Drama, [Explained](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/story/zendaya-and-robert-pattinsons-the-drama-film-review) - A Complete List of [Meghan and Harry’s Creative Projects](https://www.vanityfair.com/style/story/a-complete-list-of-meghan-and-harrys-creative-projects-from-documentaries-to-unrealized-podcasts) - The High-Stakes Gambler, and Self-Styled Vigilante, at the Center of [Paramount’s Legal Drama](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/story/rj-cipriani-jeff-shell-paramount-lawsuit) - Kiss Kiss Bang Bang: [Glock’s Wild Succession Saga](https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/glock-guns-family-feud) - The Saga That Sent the [Chess World](https://www.vanityfair.com/culture/story/magnus-carsen-chess-excerpt) Spinning - The [Water Polo Scandal](https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/water-polo-scandal-harvard-westlake) That Rocked LA’s Most Elite Private School - [Lindsey Vonn](https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/lindsey-vonn-cover-story) on Life After Her Horrifying Crash - [Kylie Jenner](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/story/kylie-jenner) Enters Her Hollywood Era - From the Archive: [What Really Happened the Night of Joey Comunale’s Murder](https://archive.vanityfair.com/article/2020/5/murder-at-sutton-place) [![](https://media.vanityfair.com/photos/62fe7adc2f607bd675877ac9/1:1/w_90%2Cc_limit/A_Headshots_EricLutz_Revise.png)](https://www.vanityfair.com/contributor/eric-lutz) Eric Lutz [Eric Lutz](https://www.vanityfair.com/contributor/eric-lutz) is a contributing editor at Vanity Fair, where he has been covering national affairs since 2018. He chronicles the chaos of Trump era politics, reporting on the issues, ideas, and personalities driving the day. He has also written for publications like The Guardian and Rolling Stone, and serves ... [Read More](https://www.vanityfair.com/contributor/eric-lutz) Read More [![The Humiliation of Tulsi Gabbard](https://media.vanityfair.com/photos/69bc5a4481423c5f1f99f5ef/4:3/w_1200%2Cc_limit/undefined)](https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/tulsi-gabbard-iran-war-trump#intcid=_vanity-fair-article-bottom-recirc_3f7787f6-2ed6-43e6-a0a1-841bb44cb20d_text2vec1) Politics [The Humiliation of Tulsi Gabbard](https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/tulsi-gabbard-iran-war-trump#intcid=_vanity-fair-article-bottom-recirc_3f7787f6-2ed6-43e6-a0a1-841bb44cb20d_text2vec1) Trump’s director of national intelligence has spent her career arguing against a war with Iran. Now, she’s the public face for one, and her former allies are furious. By Aidan McLaughlin [![James Fishback Has Seized the Gen Z Right. Now He Thinks He Can Win Florida.](https://media.vanityfair.com/photos/69b04138ae8c5e4ce278aeda/4:3/w_1200%2Cc_limit/undefined)](https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/james-fishback-florida-gen-z-online-right#intcid=_vanity-fair-article-bottom-recirc_3f7787f6-2ed6-43e6-a0a1-841bb44cb20d_text2vec1) Politics [James Fishback Has Seized the Gen Z Right. Now He Thinks He Can Win Florida.](https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/james-fishback-florida-gen-z-online-right#intcid=_vanity-fair-article-bottom-recirc_3f7787f6-2ed6-43e6-a0a1-841bb44cb20d_text2vec1) “We’ve broken into the mainstream,” the long-shot Republican candidate for governor tells Vanity Fair, as influencers from Andrew Tate to Nick Fuentes line up behind him. By Dan Adler [![Robert Mueller, Former FBI Head And Donald Trump Investigator, Dead At 81](https://media.vanityfair.com/photos/69bed9ea67e433de89e0426b/4:3/w_1200%2Cc_limit/undefined)](https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/robert-mueller-dead-at-81#intcid=_vanity-fair-article-bottom-recirc_3f7787f6-2ed6-43e6-a0a1-841bb44cb20d_text2vec1) News [Robert Mueller, Former FBI Head And Donald Trump Investigator, Dead At 81](https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/robert-mueller-dead-at-81#intcid=_vanity-fair-article-bottom-recirc_3f7787f6-2ed6-43e6-a0a1-841bb44cb20d_text2vec1) Robert Mueller, the head of the FBI for 12 years and leader of an inconclusive criminal investigation into President Donald Trump's alleged ties to Russia, died on Friday at age 81. By Eve Batey [![Glenn Beck’s AI George Washington Is a Right Wing Sexual Fantasy](https://media.vanityfair.com/photos/69baf37a25a2e0436189cac4/4:3/w_1200%2Cc_limit/undefined)](https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/glenn-becks-ai-george-washington#intcid=_vanity-fair-article-bottom-recirc_3f7787f6-2ed6-43e6-a0a1-841bb44cb20d_text2vec1) News [Glenn Beck’s AI George Washington Is a Right Wing Sexual Fantasy](https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/glenn-becks-ai-george-washington#intcid=_vanity-fair-article-bottom-recirc_3f7787f6-2ed6-43e6-a0a1-841bb44cb20d_text2vec1) A presidential historian factchecks the historically inaccurate digital president, who has been artificially enhanced with modern-day aesthetics and ideas. By Alexis Coe [![Trump Will Take Control of the Midterms\&\#8211;If This Florida Lawyer Gets His Way](https://media.vanityfair.com/photos/69b029d5abf75a5968f1f07a/4:3/w_1200%2Cc_limit/undefined)](https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/trump-will-take-control-of-the-midterms-if-this-florida-lawyer-gets-his-way#intcid=_vanity-fair-article-bottom-recirc_3f7787f6-2ed6-43e6-a0a1-841bb44cb20d_text2vec1) News [Trump Will Take Control of the Midterms–If This Florida Lawyer Gets His Way](https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/trump-will-take-control-of-the-midterms-if-this-florida-lawyer-gets-his-way#intcid=_vanity-fair-article-bottom-recirc_3f7787f6-2ed6-43e6-a0a1-841bb44cb20d_text2vec1) “Foreign interests are putting their thumb on the scale of our elections,” Peter Ticktin claims. Senator Mark Warner is answering with a “prebunking” campaign. By Chris Smith [![Donald Trump, Pete Hegseth and the TikTokification of War](https://media.vanityfair.com/photos/69c56d95100ec7a7c74c28cb/4:3/w_1200%2Cc_limit/undefined)](https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/trump-iran-war-bombing-videos#intcid=_vanity-fair-article-bottom-recirc_3f7787f6-2ed6-43e6-a0a1-841bb44cb20d_text2vec1) Politics [Donald Trump, Pete Hegseth and the TikTokification of War](https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/trump-iran-war-bombing-videos#intcid=_vanity-fair-article-bottom-recirc_3f7787f6-2ed6-43e6-a0a1-841bb44cb20d_text2vec1) President Trump's view of the war is reportedly informed by a daily diet of short-form bombing videos—and by rosy Fox News coverage. No wonder he thinks the war is won. Meanwhile, his Defense Secretary seems to view violence as its own end. By Aidan McLaughlin [![CPAC Used to Be an “Absolute Rager.” Now, Some Young Conservatives “Don’t Even Know” What It Is](https://media.vanityfair.com/photos/69c6f152100ec7a7c74c2e54/4:3/w_1200%2Cc_limit/undefined)](https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/cpac-2026-young-conservatives#intcid=_vanity-fair-article-bottom-recirc_3f7787f6-2ed6-43e6-a0a1-841bb44cb20d_text2vec1) Politics [CPAC Used to Be an “Absolute Rager.” Now, Some Young Conservatives “Don’t Even Know” What It Is](https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/cpac-2026-young-conservatives#intcid=_vanity-fair-article-bottom-recirc_3f7787f6-2ed6-43e6-a0a1-841bb44cb20d_text2vec1) As the annual conference descends on Texas, what claims to be the “largest and most influential gathering of conservatives in the world” has fallen flat with younger Republicans. By Olivia Empson [![“I Don’t Worry About Markets”: Trump Talks to Vanity Fair The Day After His Iran Address](https://media.vanityfair.com/photos/69cecd099f506c1289461ee5/4:3/w_1200%2Cc_limit/undefined)](https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/trump-iran-war-white-house-address-interview#intcid=_vanity-fair-article-bottom-recirc_3f7787f6-2ed6-43e6-a0a1-841bb44cb20d_text2vec1) Politics [“I Don’t Worry About Markets”: Trump Talks to Vanity Fair The Day After His Iran Address](https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/trump-iran-war-white-house-address-interview#intcid=_vanity-fair-article-bottom-recirc_3f7787f6-2ed6-43e6-a0a1-841bb44cb20d_text2vec1) The president delivered his first White House address to the nation on the war in Iran this week. In an interview with Vanity Fair, over a background track of Fox News programming, he touted his supposed triumphs. By Aidan McLaughlin [![Gloria Steinem on Her New Memoir, An Unexpected Life: “Not Sure I Saw Any of It Coming”](https://media.vanityfair.com/photos/69c2acee3a5b08b2dd2d02bc/4:3/w_1200%2Cc_limit/undefined)](https://www.vanityfair.com/culture/story/gloria-steinem-an-unexpected-life-memoir-book-exclusive-interview#intcid=_vanity-fair-article-bottom-recirc_3f7787f6-2ed6-43e6-a0a1-841bb44cb20d_text2vec1) Culture [Gloria Steinem on Her New Memoir, An Unexpected Life: “Not Sure I Saw Any of It Coming”](https://www.vanityfair.com/culture/story/gloria-steinem-an-unexpected-life-memoir-book-exclusive-interview#intcid=_vanity-fair-article-bottom-recirc_3f7787f6-2ed6-43e6-a0a1-841bb44cb20d_text2vec1) In an exclusive cover preview, the feminist icon reflects on reproductive rights, Donald Trump, and her remarkable life of advocacy. By Savannah Walsh [![Can a Pro-Tech Podcast Solve OpenAI’s PR Woes?](https://media.vanityfair.com/photos/694444a97c3fd594f22d61bb/4:3/w_1200%2Cc_limit/undefined)](https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/openai-tbpn-podcast#intcid=_vanity-fair-article-bottom-recirc_3f7787f6-2ed6-43e6-a0a1-841bb44cb20d_text2vec1) Business [Can a Pro-Tech Podcast Solve OpenAI’s PR Woes?](https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/openai-tbpn-podcast#intcid=_vanity-fair-article-bottom-recirc_3f7787f6-2ed6-43e6-a0a1-841bb44cb20d_text2vec1) This winter, OpenAI hit a comms rock bottom. Will its acquisition of the cult favorite show TBPN be enough to turn it around? By Julia Black [![Marilyn Monroe’s Nudes Made Her Notorious. “Surprisingly Good” Acting Made Her a Star.](https://media.vanityfair.com/photos/69d3f5452c4b38bec4759462/4:3/w_1200%2Cc_limit/undefined)](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/story/marilyn-monroe-acting#intcid=_vanity-fair-article-bottom-recirc_3f7787f6-2ed6-43e6-a0a1-841bb44cb20d_text2vec1) Hollywood [Marilyn Monroe’s Nudes Made Her Notorious. “Surprisingly Good” Acting Made Her a Star.](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/story/marilyn-monroe-acting#intcid=_vanity-fair-article-bottom-recirc_3f7787f6-2ed6-43e6-a0a1-841bb44cb20d_text2vec1) In an exclusive excerpt from, The Marilyn Monroe Century: From Norma Jeane to Icon―A Story in Photographs, trace the icon’s meteoric rise from scandal to stardom. Plus, a selection of previously unpublished photographs by Bruno Bernard. By Joshua John Miller [![No Kings Protests: Bruce Springsteen, Jane Fonda, and Robert De Niro Turn Out Against Donald Trump](https://media.vanityfair.com/photos/69c93477bc53344f43aca183/4:3/w_1200%2Cc_limit/undefined)](https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/no-kings-jane-fonda-bruce-springsteen-robert-deniro#intcid=_vanity-fair-article-bottom-recirc_3f7787f6-2ed6-43e6-a0a1-841bb44cb20d_text2vec1) News [No Kings Protests: Bruce Springsteen, Jane Fonda, and Robert De Niro Turn Out Against Donald Trump](https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/no-kings-jane-fonda-bruce-springsteen-robert-deniro#intcid=_vanity-fair-article-bottom-recirc_3f7787f6-2ed6-43e6-a0a1-841bb44cb20d_text2vec1) More than 3,000 demonstrations were held Saturday in locations across the world, all to denounce the war in Iran and the policies of the Trump administration. By Diego Parrado [![SUBSTANCE WITH SMILE \<br\> Subscribe to success our exclusive newsletter, full archive, and more.\<br\> Get your first month free \<br\> SUBSCRIBE](https://media.vanityfair.com/photos/69a1e5d2513a9eba80b45b9e/original/pass/VYF_Subscription_Relaunch_2026_In-Content_940x140_2x.gif?format=original)](https://www.vanityfair.com/v2/offers/vfa01034?source=Site_0_JNY_VYF_DESKTOP_GLOBAL_FOOTER_0_US_SUBSCRIPTION_RELAUNCH_MAR2026_ZZ_PANELA) [![Vanity Fair](https://www.vanityfair.com/verso/static/vanityfair-global/assets/VF_Logo_Footer.svg)](https://www.vanityfair.com/) More from Vanity Fair - [Newsletters](https://www.vanityfair.com/newsletters) - [Subscribe](https://adclick.g.doubleclick.net/pcs/click?xai=AKAOjssc5DpG2q7MGxrHMxZezKOqswtMDF6_09HkiL8uAGJKzDTpCVW6u4UMCm4cL_-yuCxwP4NtVt3VRHRbYGWjqr5bEJqjgb8o7ZwYTZLv7be03Ud32Ws7rPuSILf77sZfMXmaQU5wrzkjmsjieC1LaXQPHaCP_F3b9y1NSpGg545d6bHVgEWn-P79Wy5krMsQMzpnXUtuyesyRoS1H6XASPlzYj1R6pnyx7SwSxVujQI0SK8zvkVajFRtvuA9cN2z&sai=AMfl-YSgoG5Ci2-vXdDHYcjjqiWP0vmndq6Yk5kU0PZackIzP3RJJOM9ej40QDwCdG-yKtsKE2a0dmb4VrGODuIzTIcqpJp66x74CYADNhU-vOKWpHOfUuMuuFi_jGJNxkb_ubRF7ANFMZ2NasI2XdSW&sig=Cg0ArKJSzE-e_pQ-tYYfEAE&urlfix=1&adurl=https://subscribe.vanityfair.com/subscribe/vanityfair/118234%3Fsource%3DAMS_VYF_GLOBAL_SITE_FOOTER_SUBSCRIBE_1mFREETEST_TEST%26pos_name%3DAMS_VYF_GLOBAL_SITE_FOOTER_SUBSCRIBE) - [Digital Edition](https://www.vanityfair.com/app) - [Inside the Issue](https://www.vanityfair.com/credits) - [About Vanity Fair](https://www.vanityfair.com/info/about-vanity-fair) - [FAQ](https://www.vanityfair.com/info/faq) Contact - [Contact VF](https://www.vanityfair.com/contact/contact-us) - [Manage Account](https://www.vanityfair.com/account/profile) - [Advertising](https://www.condenast.com/brands/vanity-fair) - [Careers](https://www.condenast.com/careers) - [User Agreement](https://www.condenast.com/user-agreement/) - [Privacy Policy](http://www.condenast.com/privacy-policy#privacypolicy) - [Your California Privacy Rights](http://www.condenast.com/privacy-policy#privacypolicy-california) - [Condé Nast Store](https://condenaststore.com/~/vanity-fair?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=VanityFair&utm_content=FOOTER&AID=1244593740) - [VF Media Kit](http://www.condenastmediakit.com/vf/) - [Accessibility Help](https://www.vanityfair.com/accessibility-help) - [Site Map](https://www.vanityfair.com/sitemap) - Your Privacy Choices © 2026 Condé Nast. All rights reserved. Vanity Fair may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Condé Nast. [Ad Choices](http://www.aboutads.info/) CN Entertainment ###### Select international site United States - [Italy](https://www.vanityfair.it/) - [Spain](https://www.revistavanityfair.es/) - [France](https://www.vanityfair.fr/)
Readable Markdown	## The Hand Situation Let’s start with Trump’s hands, which have repeatedly appeared bruised or discolored and have occasionally been covered with [Band-Aids](https://www.thedailybeast.com/donald-trump-79-returns-with-mystery-addition-to-bruised-hand/) or caked-on makeup—as seen [during his recent appearance at the White House Congressional Ball](https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/donald-trump-bruised-hand-congressional-ball-b2883206.html). Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, has said that the president’s hands are bruised “because he’s constantly working and shaking hands all day every day.” “President Trump is a man of the people,” [Leavitt explained](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/white-house-says-large-bruise-trumps-hand-shaking-hands-day-every-day-rcna193652) in February. “The president is literally constantly shaking hands,” [Leavitt reiterated](https://bsky.app/profile/atrupar.com/post/3m7qafnqse22o) this month. Sean Barbabella, physician to the president, also chalked up Trump’s hand bruises to his glad-handing habit, as well as an aspirin regimen. “President Trump remains in excellent health,” [Barbabella said](https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/2025/07/memorandum-from-the-physician-to-the-president/) in a July memo. But many social media users (as well as doctors [who haven’t treated Trump](https://www.medpagetoday.com/washington-watch/washington-watch/117177)) have questioned that explanation, speculating instead that the bruising and Band-Aids could be related to an undisclosed medical condition. Trump’s hands weren’t the only extremity to cause concern this year. That July memo from Barbabella was released after Trump’s ankles appeared swollen. He was ultimately diagnosed with [chronic venous insufficiency](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/4-things-to-know-about-trumps-diagnosis-of-chronic-venous-insufficiency), a blood-flow issue that can cause blood to collect in the legs. ## Where’s Trump? Trump has been a ubiquitous figure in American life through the first year of his second presidency—except for a brief spell in late August, when he was conspicuously absent from the public eye and rumors took hold that he was seriously ill or [perhaps even dead](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/how-donald-trumps-untimely-and-untrue-death-unfolded-on-social-media). The rumors, of course, were just rumors—Trump is very much alive. But they were supercharged by cryptic statements made by Vice President JD Vance, who spoke about his preparedness to take over for Trump should the need arise. “I feel very confident the president of the United States is in good shape,” Vance [told USA Today](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/08/28/vance-training-president-trump-good-health/85852650007/) in August. “And if, God forbid, there’s a terrible tragedy, I can’t think of better on-the-job training than what I’ve gotten over the last 200 days.” Trump, naturally, waved away the speculation: “NEVER FELT BETTER IN MY LIFE,” he [posted](https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115125318282199234) online, along with a [week-old image of himself golfing](https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-health-photos-2122478) with the former NFL coach and commentator Jon Gruden, after the speculation had already reached a fever pitch. ## At Another Checkup? In October, [Leavitt said](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-get-routine-yearly-medical-check-second-6-months-rcna236538) Trump would be getting a “routine yearly checkup” at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center—his second “yearly” checkup in six months. That raised a question: Was something going on that the White House wasn’t coming forward with? Late last month, Trump made reference to an MRI he’d undergone at Walter Reed—without saying why he’d had the scan in the first place. (In December, [the White House released a letter](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-mri-abdomen-heart-white-house-says/) in which Barbabella said that imaging was done to evaluate the president’s “cardiovascular and abdominal health,” that it was “preventitive,” and that Trump remained in “excellent overall health.”) “It was just an MRI,” Trump [told reporters](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-mri-abdomen-heart-white-house-says/), insisting that the scan was not of his brain, “because I took a cognitive test and I aced it.” This, of course, raised another question: Why was Trump taking all these cognitive tests in the first place and bragging about them, no less? “Those are really hard, they’re really aptitude tests,” [Trump told reporters](https://newrepublic.com/post/202291/trump-dementia-test-shutdown) in October, challenging Democrats Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Jasmine Crockett to take what was likely a [screening test for dementia](https://people.com/donald-trump-mistakes-dementia-screening-for-iq-test-11837935). “But they’re cognitive tests.”
Shard	5 (laksa)
Root Hash	9622172994434758605
Unparsed URL	com,vanityfair!www,/news/story/donald-trump-health-year-in-review s443