U.S. President Donald Trump appeared at the White House this week with a noticeable rash on the right side of his neck, sparking widespread discussion on social media.
While some attributed the lesion to irritation from his “collar,” others speculated more serious causes, such as “shingles,” triggered by the reactivation of the dormant varicella-zoster virus — the same pathogen that causes chickenpox.
As the debate continued, a White House physician issued a statement about what had caused the irritation and how long it could last.
No formal diagnosis was offered by the doctor, however, leading other experts to suggest the rash could be a sign of something far more serious.
The White House issued a clarification about Donald Trump’s rash, but it has done little to quell public curiosity
“President Trump is using a very common cream on the right side of his neck, which is a preventative skin treatment,” Dr. Sean Barbabella told CNN on Monday, March 2.
“The president is using the treatment for one week, and the redness is expected to last for a few weeks,” he added.
As Dr. Barbabella failed to specify why Trump needed the treatment, Dr. Paul Farrant, a consultant dermatologist and director at Experts in Skin and Hair, told The Daily Mail, “This kind of very angry rash on the right side of his neck could definitely be caused by treatment for actinic keratosis, a precancerous skin condition caused by sun damage.”
“When these creams are applied, we would definitely expect long-lasting redness and irritation, which looks like what’s going on underneath Trump’s collar,” he added.
Clinical immunologist Dr. Zachary Rubin, in a Facebook video, speculated that Donald Trump may be using 5-fluorouracil cream, a topical chemotherapy treatment prescribed for sun damage.
Dr. Farrant, however, believes the irritation is more likely due to tirbanibulin, a similar treatment requiring only five days of use, which would “tally with the statement issued by the White House.”
He said the redness and inflammation Trump is experiencing show that the medicine is working.
Sun exposure is not the only cause of the condition — frequent use of tanning equipment can also contribute
According to the Cleveland Clinic, tanning devices, including tanning beds, emit ultraviolet radiation that is 10 to 15 times stronger than the sun’s, which damages the skin.
Regular use significantly increases the risk of developing actinic keratosis.
Donald Trump has long been the subject of speculation about tanning, courtesy of his much-discussed “orange” skin tone.
“Donald Trump has tanned himself into a color that has never existed on any human,” a social media user opined.
Another, posting a photo of Trump with his face visibly darker than the back of his neck, added, “This photo should be used as evidence in a tanning bed lawsuit.”
Some circulated a photoshopped image of a tanning bed in the White House, claiming “movers were seen taking the equipment out of the Oval Office.”
“Trump bathes in tanning beds with ultraviolet lights on high,” another jested.
A senior Trump administration official, however, told The New York Times in 2019 that Trump’s skin tone is the result of “good genes.”
The same official admitted that Trump uses a translucent powder to manage shine and color for TV appearances while denying the use of bronzer.
Scrutiny over Donald Trump’s rash came amid recent buzz about his bruised hand and swollen ankle
Donald Trump has made headlines over bruises on his hand on multiple occasions, but the most recent instance came in January, when a large mark on his left hand drew attention.
“I clipped it on the table,” he told CNN’s Samantha Waldenberg aboard Air Force One at the time.
The White House issued a similar statement, saying, “At the Board of Peace event today in Davos, President Trump hit his hand on the corner of the signing table, causing it to bruise.”
During his conversation with Waldenberg, Trump also pointed to aspirin use as the cause of his bruising, saying, “I would say, take aspirin if you like your heart, but don’t take aspirin if you don’t want to have a little bruising.”
“I take the big aspirin, and when you take the big aspirin, they tell you, you bruise,” the president added.
Dr. Barbabella previously told The Wall Street Journal that Trump takes 325 milligrams of aspirin every day.
According to the Mayo Clinic, only 75 to 100 milligrams of aspirin is typically needed to help prevent a heart attack or stroke.
Regarding Trump’s swollen ankles, attention was drawn to them last month when sports podcaster Josh Pate shared a photo of him during their meeting in Rome, Georgia.
The image showed Trump seated with his lower legs exposed, revealing pronounced swelling above his shoes.
“Trump has severe cankles,” one netizen remarked at the time, while another added, “Trump can’t run because his cankles allow him to barely walk.”
Dismissing speculation about Trump’s health, Davis Ingle, a White House spokesperson, told The Daily Beast, “President Trump is the sharpest, most accessible, and energetic president in modern American history.”
The White House has maintained that Trump’s ankle swelling is due to chronic venous insufficiency, a disorder that affects many elderly people and causes the veins in their legs to struggle to pump blood back to the heart.
“[Trump] looks a lot worse than Biden, and Biden was older,” a social media user expressed
