Trump, 79, Hides Cankles in Rambling Address to the Nation
The president’s swollen ankles remained out of view as he rambled for nearly 20 minutes.
President Donald Trump made sure to keep his cankles concealed on his way to address the nation about his Iran war.
As Trump, 79, approached the podium to give his surprise primetime update on the war he started just over a month ago, the elderly president’s lower half was conveniently shielded from view.
Trump claimed during his speech that the U.S. has "beaten and completely decimated" Iran, but would continue attacking the country for the next two to three weeks.
Alex Brandon/via Reuters
As the president gave his 18-minute and 39-second-long speech, which didn’t provide much new information regarding his war in the Middle East, Trump’s swollen cankles remained out of view.
Even after his speech concluded, the president did not walk off, preventing the American people from getting a glimpse at his swollen ankles.
Trump, as the White House has confirmed, suffers from chronic venous insufficiency, a condition that can cause swelling of the ankles.
ADVERTISEMENT
The president’s cankles have appeared frequently throughout his second term in office, including at his last two Oval Office meetings with the Taoiseach of Ireland, Micheál Martin, and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.

A photo composite of Donald Trump's cankles during the Japan prime minister's visit to the White House.
Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/Reuters

Trump's cankles were on display for St. Patrick's Day.
Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/Reuters
The Daily Beast has comprehensively covered Trump’s laundry list of ailments throughout his second term, including his bruised hands, random neck rash, mental slip-ups, and public sleeping fits.
During his primetime address to Americans on Wednesday night, the president did not offer much of a significant update on the conflict, but did congratulate himself at length for his role in the “military action.”
Trump, the self-styled “Peace President,” did not confirm a timeframe for when the war would be over, but did say the U.S. was “nearing completion” of its “core objectives” and would be finished in the region “very shortly.”
Sign Up for The Swamp Newsletter
By clicking “SUBSCRIBE” you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
The president said that the country he now governs was a “dead and crippled country” before his second term, congratulating himself on a batch of wild falsehoods and washing his hands of the mess he caused in the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump begged other countries to buy oil from the U.S. during his speech.
Alex Brandon/via Reuters
Since the war began on Feb. 28, 13 American troops have died, and more than 200 have been wounded, according to U.S. military officials.
Six American service members were killed on March 1 when an Iranian retaliatory drone struck a mobile operations center in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait, and another six died after a KC-135 refueling aircraft crashed in Iraq.
Iran shut down the Strait of Hormuz on March 2, spiking oil prices worldwide as its ship traffic has shrunken from an average of 60 ships per day to just 11, according to hormuzstraitmonitor.com.
Gas prices at home have risen in response, with the average price per gallon of gas skyrocketing to over $4 domestically for the first time since 2022.
The Daily Beast has reached out to the White House for comment.
Register below to read this article for free or subscribe
to unlock unlimited access to The Daily Beast.
Monthly
$1
First month then $5.99/month
Annual
$35
First year then $59.99/year
Premium
$79
First year then $119.99/year
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Already have an account? Sign In
Looks like you already have a subscription!
- Account (completed)
- Payment (completed)
- Confirmation (completed)
You're all set!
Thanks for subscribing.
- 1Account
- 2Payment
- 3Confirmation


ADVERTISEMENT
Sign in or create an account
Login dialog
Loading comments…
ADVERTISEMENT