Donald Trump was seen with a rash on the side of his neck during the Medal of Honor Ceremony on Monday, fueling more speculation about the state of the president’s health.
In a statement, Trump’s personal doctor said that the rash was caused by a cream that the president was using as a “preventative skin treatment.”
“President Trump is using a very common cream on the right side of his neck, which is a preventative skin treatment,” Dr Sean Barbabella said in a statement. “The president is using the treatment for one week, and the redness is expected to last for a few weeks.”
The statement did not specify what the cream is, or why Trump needed the skin treatment.
The question of Trump’s health has become larger in recent months, after the president was first seen with what appeared to be make-up on his hand in February 2025. He has since appeared with bruises on his hands multiple times. He also appeared to be drowsy in a cabinet meeting in December and at a meeting to promote lower costs of GLP-1 weight-loss medications.
“President Trump has bruises on his hand because he’s constantly working and shaking hands all day every day,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt previously said.
In July last year, the White House announced that Trump had been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency after he noticed swelling in his legs.
“The president underwent a comprehensive examination, including diagnostic vascular studies. Bilateral lower extremity venous Doppler ultrasounds were performed and revealed chronic venous insufficiency, a benign and common condition, particularly in individuals over the age of 70,” a memo from the White House said at the time.
In a January interview with the Wall Street Journal, Trump said he was taking “more aspirin” than his doctors recommended but that otherwise his “health is perfect.”
“They say aspirin is good for thinning out the blood, and I don’t want thick blood pouring through my heart,” Trump said. “I want nice, thin blood pouring through my heart. Does that make sense?”
Trump also expressed frustration in the interview with the scrutiny of his health. He admitted that he regretted undergoing a cardiovascular and abdominal advanced imaging scan during a routine check-up in October.
“In retrospect, it’s too bad I took it, because it gave them a little ammunition,” Trump said. “I would have been a lot better off if they didn’t, because the fact that I took it said, ‘Oh gee, is something wrong?’ Well, nothing’s wrong.”
