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International Business Times UK
International Business Times UK
Rose Enecio

Physical Therapist Shares Theory About Why Donald Trump Taps His Leg When He Walks, Sparking Debate

Donald Trump Daily Beast Karoline Leavitt VT White House
Donald Trump’s leg-patting video prompted online health theories, but no medical assessment has linked the gesture to a condition (Credit: The White House/Wikimedia Commons Public Domain)

A video of Donald Trump patting his hip as he walked across an airport tarmac circulated on social media in August 2026. VT revisited online theories in a report published on 20 October. One X user called the movement a 'physical therapy technique,' but neither the post nor VT identifies a physical therapist who assessed Trump.

The clip had already drawn coverage from The Daily Beast on 10 August, after it circulated over the weekend. X influencer Molly Ploofkins shared the footage and asked, 'Why is he always slapping his side now?' Her post drew hundreds of replies proposing possible ailments, according to the Daily Beast.

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