Donald Trump’s noticeably swollen ankles made their latest public appearance Tuesday as the president hosted Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in the Oval Office.
The 79-year-old president’s cankles were photographed bulging over the tops of his black dress shoes during the meeting, which failed to produce a trade deal between the two North American neighbors.
Trump, who revived his idea of annexing Canada as the 51st state during his speech to top U.S. military leaders last week, has walked on enlarged ankles for months, due to a condition common in seniors where blood pools in the legs.
The extent of the president’s swelling was hard to miss Tuesday as he sat next to Carney, 60, and Vice President JD Vance, 41, whose ankles looked dainty by comparison.
When reached for comment on the photos, White House spokesman Kush Desai told the Daily Beast the president has “tremendous health,” and said, “President Trump is a champion-level golfer with the vitality, mental acuity, and energy levels that most young people could not fathom having.”
The White House’s X account, which has avoided showing Trump’s lower limbs in official photos in the past, appears to have so far only posted clips and pictures from the meeting that keep his ankles out of view.
In September, Trump’s swollen ankles stood in stark contrast to first lady Melania’s as the couple disembarked from Marine One upon returning from the U.K.
Trump, the oldest person ever inaugurated as president, has been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, which occurs when damaged veins slow blood flow back to the heart.
Questions about his health have only mounted since the White House announced the diagnosis in July, as he has displayed a persistent bruise on his hand and at times struggled to walk in a straight line.
Trump added a fresh layer of makeup to cover the bruise for his meeting with Carney, as he often does for public outings.
The White House has brushed off concerns, attributing the large bruise to vigorous handshaking combined with “the use of aspirin, which is taken as part of a standard cardiovascular prevention regime.”
Trump has said little about his health issues. Speaking to Navy sailors Sunday, he claimed he’d been declared a healthier and stronger “physical specimen” than Barack Obama and George W. Bush.
He also once again criticized the fitness of Joe Biden, 82, speculating on the chances of the former president falling down stairs—before reflecting on his own frailty in a surprising turn.
“I have to be careful because one day I’m gonna probably fall,” he said.
Trump’s mental acuity has also been questioned, as he routinely gives incoherent and rambling speeches, and misremembers simple facts about his life, like the year his first term as president began.
