Trump to Undergo Another Physical Exam — Because Why Not?

In what appears to be his eighth public check-up in the last 18 months, President Donald Trump announced Monday that he will head to Walter Reed Army Medical Center later this week for what he called his “long scheduled Annual Physical Examination.”

But if “annual” means weekly in Trump-speak, this would track with a pattern of repeated health updates from a man who, by his own account, has “never felt better” — despite being over 75, surviving an assassination attempt, and campaigning with the energy of a man trying to out-shout a jet engine.

“I have never felt better, but nevertheless, these things must be done!” Trump posted on Truth Social, with trademark flair. The former and current president added that the physical would take place Friday at Walter Reed, the same facility where he was treated for COVID-19 in 2020, and apparently now his go-to weekend wellness retreat.

This will be Trump’s first “official” physical exam of his second administration, although his team has issued statements about his health every time he’s been spotted walking briskly, waving enthusiastically, or consuming a cheeseburger with slightly more vigor than usual.

Sources inside the administration quietly joke that the Walter Reed staff has begun blocking out a standing Friday appointment for Trump, just in case he wants another round of tests, a photo op in scrubs, or maybe just to have someone say “you’re in amazing shape, sir.”

While most presidents undergo a physical once per year, Trump has taken a different approach — opting instead for a rolling press cycle of wellness affirmations, impromptu weigh-ins, and stamina statistics released in press conferences that sometimes feel more like sports broadcasts.

“He attended 120 events in seven months,” said Florida neurosurgeon Dr. Brett Osborn last November, “often multiple rallies in a single day in different states.” According to Osborn, this alone is “proof-positive that Trump has a tremendous amount of stamina, mentally and physically.”

That’s certainly one interpretation.

Trump’s health has always been part policy, part performance.

Back in 2015, his personal physician famously declared that Trump would be “the healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency.” The statement, which read more like a Yelp review for a fitness influencer, was later revealed to have been written by Trump himself.

Then there was the mystery trip to Walter Reed in 2019 that the White House insisted was “part of a routine checkup,” despite being unannounced, off-schedule, and followed by two days of silence. The speculation around that trip only intensified when Trump's own doctors refused to explain it.

Since then, every visit to Walter Reed has become part of a long-running mystery novel: “The Curious Case of the Repeated Physical.”

After surviving an assassination attempt in July, Trump’s resilience became a new point of pride for his supporters. In the hours and days after the attempt, doctors marveled at his quick response and relative calm.

Dr. Marc Siegel called Trump’s survival “an extraordinary case,” adding that he displayed “adroitness” — not a word often used in trauma medicine, but one that landed somewhere between admiration and marketing copy.

In Trump’s own words, he emerged from the experience “even stronger,” though critics noted he started using the phrase “better than ever” with increasing frequency — raising questions about whether we’re witnessing a political campaign or the rollout of a new vitamin brand.

Despite Trump’s nonstop talk about his physical health, there’s been little official documentation.

In October, more than 230 doctors, nurses, and health professionals signed an open letter urging Trump to release his full medical records. “On August 20, Donald Trump said he would ‘very gladly’ release his medical records,” the letter read. “In the 55 days since, he has yet to do so.”

That letter has since aged into its fifth month, with no additional details disclosed beyond anecdotal testimonies, Fox News soundbites, and the president’s personal Twitter musings on how “strong” and “sharp” he feels.

Instead of a full health report, the public gets broad descriptions of Trump’s vitality: he’s lifting weights, he's dancing to "YMCA," he’s definitely not sleeping in a tanning pod. But hard data remains elusive.

Democrats continue to challenge Trump’s claims of exceptional health, pointing to his lack of transparency and the theatrical nature of his updates.

One congressional aide quipped anonymously that “Trump seems to take more physicals than most people get oil changes,” adding that it’s unclear whether the exams are for actual medical assessment or just another chapter in the myth-building machine.

In public remarks, some have called for basic standards: full records, cognitive tests, and even neutral third-party medical reviews, especially after Trump made gaffes on the campaign trail or appeared to confuse names and places.

Others, however, see the constant health updates as part of the larger Trump strategy: dominate the news cycle, crowd out criticism, and keep his supporters focused on his supposed superhuman energy.

There’s a deeper political strategy to Trump’s wellness obsession. In a post-pandemic America, physical vitality has become a proxy for leadership strength. Trump’s repeated performances of energy — long rallies, helicopter arrivals, fast-talking interviews — are crafted to make voters associate him with power and control.

But that strategy cuts both ways. Critics argue that Trump’s fixation on appearing indestructible often masks deeper concerns about transparency, vulnerability, and truth.

And if his health is being weaponized as part of his campaign, then every physical — every carefully worded Truth Social post about how “never felt better” — becomes less of a routine check-up and more of a scripted act in a political show.

At this point, Trump’s visits to Walter Reed are beginning to feel more like a recurring TV segment than a medical necessity. From impromptu press briefings to patriotic backdrops and photos in long hallways, the place has become the unofficial set of "Trump: Stronger Than Ever."

And while the public still hasn’t seen full test results or medical documentation from any of these exams, that hasn’t stopped the former president from branding himself the ultimate model of health.

In fact, some observers are joking that Trump might schedule a second physical next month — not because he needs one, but because he wants to get ahead of his next “never felt better” post.

Unless the White House or Trump’s physicians release actual results, we may be left to rely on the same vague reassurances we've heard for years. No cholesterol counts. No stress tests. Just a lot of “tremendous stamina” and “unbelievable fitness.”

And so we wait. For the physical. For the paperwork. For the next round of “I’m the healthiest man alive” posts.

In the meantime, Trump continues to build his image of the invincible statesman — one blood pressure cuff at a time.