A medical professor believes that President Donald Trump suffered a stroke in 2025 and has not disclosed it to the public, citing physical symptoms and behavioral changes observed over recent months.
Professor Bruce Davidson of Washington State University’s Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine presented his assessment during an appearance on a podcast hosted by biographer Sidney Blumenthal and Princeton historian Sean Wilentz. Davidson, a pulmonary medicine expert, outlined what he described as multiple indicators supporting his conclusion about the 79-year-old president’s health.
“I think his stroke was on the left side of the brain, which controls the right side of the body,” Davidson said. He suggested the medical event happened six months ago or more, earlier in 2025.
The professor pointed to videos showing Trump shuffling his feet, which he said differed from how Trump previously strode on golf courses. He also noted footage showing Trump holding his right hand cradled in his left.
Davidson said Trump garbled words earlier in 2025 in ways he had not done before, though he acknowledged the president has improved in this area recently. The professor described “marked episodes of excessive daytime sleepiness,” known medically as hypersomnolence, which he said is common among stroke patients.
Trump now routinely appears to nod off during public appearances at White House events. Davidson also referenced footage showing Trump descending Air Force One stairs while gripping the banister with his left hand, despite being right-handed, which he characterized as consistent with having had a stroke on the left side of the brain.
Davidson did not specify what type of stroke he believes the president may have experienced, but said if his assessment is correct, Trump “looks like he’s had significant recovery.”
The professor noted Trump does not appear to have dementia, stating the president remains capable of understanding questions even if he sometimes answers inappropriately.
Davidson also discussed Trump’s admission during an interview with “The Wall Street Journal” that he takes 325 milligrams of aspirin daily, significantly more than the 81 milligrams doctors typically recommend for cardiac prevention. Trump told the newspaper that aspirin thins blood and explained he wants thin blood flowing through his heart.
According to Davidson, doctors prescribe the higher dose of full-strength aspirin solely for the prevention of recurrent stroke after significant blockage of a large vessel in the brain, not for heart-related conditions.
The president has frequently appeared in public with large, visible bruises on his hands, which he attempts to conceal with makeup. The White House has attributed the bruising to Trump’s daily aspirin use combined with frequent handshaking.
Trump also wears compression socks and has been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, a condition the White House acknowledged in July 2025. The condition causes swelling in the lower legs, and Trump has taken steps to hide his swollen ankles from public view.
Additional concerns arose when Trump attended a Sept. 11, 2025 memorial ceremony with his face appearing to droop to one side. Trump also underwent advanced imaging and received a follow-up evaluation in April of 2025. He visited Walter Reed Medical Center in October 2025.
During his “Wall Street Journal” interview, Trump acknowledged undergoing some form of brain scan, initially calling it an MRI before later correcting himself to say it was a CT scan. He claimed the results were perfect. Dr. Sean Barbabella issued a note stating the scan ruled out cardiovascular issues.
Davidson suggested during his podcast appearance that Trump’s aggressive and erratic governing style during his second term could be consistent with post-stroke behavioral changes. He explained that stroke survivors react in different ways to the life-threatening event.
Some people respond with humility and gratitude, Davidson said. Others become euphoric about surviving a brush with death. Still others think the experience was their chance to die, and since they survived, they now want to do everything they planned because the next stroke may be fatal.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt responded to the claims by stating that Trump remains in excellent overall health, as Dr. Barbabella has repeatedly made clear. She said the American people see with their own eyes every day that the president is healthy.
Leavitt also characterized Trump’s work ethic and energy as standing in sharp contrast to what Americans saw during the previous four years. She accused the media of intentionally covering up the previous president’s mental and physical decline.
In another statement, Leavitt called Davidson’s allegations absolute nonsense and possibly slanderous. She described Davidson as a left-wing nut job and a Democrat activist.
Trump is on track to become the oldest president in United States history. Speculation about his mental and physical decline has circulated for months.
