President Donald Trump flashed his cankles while meeting with leaders from Southeast Asian nations on Sunday.
Trump landed in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia after a seven-hour flight from Qatar to take part in a summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The stop is part of a six-day, three country Asia tour that will culminate in a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping later this week.
As the 79-year-old president, who has faced scrutiny over his health, took his seat next to Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, his navy slacks inched up to expose a pair of puffy ankles.
Photos show the swelling is severe enough to bulge over the edges of Trump’s shoes, making Ibrahim’s ankles look comparatively trim.
The White House announced in July that Trump had been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, a condition common in seniors in which blood pools in the legs due to poor circulation.
The Daily Beast has asked the White House for comment on the photos of Trump’s swollen ankles in Malaysia.
Earlier this month, Texas Rep. Ronny Jackson, a MAGA loyalist and Trump’s former White House physician, revealed that the purpose of Trump’s recent visit to Walter Reed Medical Center —his second “annual checkup” in less than six months—was to address the condition.
“This was a follow-up visit from his annual physical,” the disgraced doctor told Newsmax. “They were doing some follow-up on his venous issue. He had been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, so there is a vascular study that was done. They were just looking to follow up—that was recommended.“
After the exam, Trump’s current White House physician Sean P. Barbabella declared that the president “remains in exceptional health, exhibiting strong cardiovascular, pulmonary, neurological, and physical performance.”
Trump’s “cardiac age…. was found to be approximately 14 years younger than his chronological age,” Barbabella wrote in a memo.
Despite the grandiose claims of exceptional fitness, however, Trump last week complained about having to remain on his feet during Oval Office events and chose to sit while others stayed upright. He has also been filmed having difficulty walking in a straight line.
Concerns about Trump’s health have surged since the White House disclosed his CVI diagnosis, particularly as he has shown a persistent bruise on his right hand, which he often tries to hide under makeup or his other hand.
The White House attributes the bruise to vigorous handshaking combined with “the use of aspirin” taken as part of “a standard cardiovascular prevention regime.”
The usually publicity-driven president’s extended absence from public view around Labor Day also fueled rumors that he had suffered a stroke or worse.
Trump’s cognitive health has been similarly scrutinized, with his incoherent public speeches and chaotic Truth Social posts drawing attention.
Psychologist Dr. John Gartner told The Daily Beast Podcast last week that Trump is exhibiting a “massive increase” in “clinical signs of dementia.”
White House spokesman Kush Desai previously told the Daily Beast that the president has “tremendous health,” calling him “a champion-level golfer with the vitality, mental acuity, and energy levels that most young people could not fathom having.”
