Gavin Newsom has ridiculed President Donald Trump’s newest dubious claims of being in good health.
The California Governor responded to a screenshot of Trump’s Friday morning Truth Social rant, shared by the White House Rapid Response account on X, in which the president alleged he was in “PERFECT HEALTH” following a bombshell report from The Wall Street Journal.
Newsom shared two photos of the president in response, along with quoting the president’s own words: one showing his deeply bruised right hand and the other showing the president sleeping during an Oval Office press conference.
Uncertainty surrounding the oldest sitting president’s health has called into question his capacity to fulfill his duties as Commander-in-Chief—an issue the Daily Beast has continually covered in depth, particularly around his swollen cankles and concealer-covered hand.
In the report published Thursday, Trump, 79, spoke with the Journal about his medical treatments in office, ranging from his questionable “advanced imaging” to wearing compression socks for his cankles.
Among the topics Trump discussed was his aspirin usage, for which doctors have recommended he lower his dosage—though Trump has declined to do so. The president said he was “superstitious” to switch, as he has taken the drug for 25 years.
His osteopathic physician, Dr. Sean Barbabella, said that Trump takes 325 milligrams of the anti-inflammatory drug every day.
“They say aspirin is good for thinning out the blood, and I don’t want thick blood pouring through my heart,” Trump told the Journal. “I want nice, thin blood pouring through my heart. Does that make sense?”
The president candidly admitted that his aspirin use contributed to his hands bruising easily, and he confirmed that he uses makeup to cover it up.
“I have makeup that’s, you know, easy to put on, takes about 10 seconds,” he said.
Trump also remarked that he had tried wearing compression socks for a time, too, in an effort to aid against his chronic venous insufficiency diagnosis—the cause of his cankles.
However, it was short-lived, as the president “didn’t like them.”
Trump’s “advanced imaging” confusion was also somewhat put to rest, as the president confirmed that he received a CT scan at the behest of his doctors, which compounded concerns over his health.
“In retrospect, it’s too bad I took it because it gave them a little ammunition,” Trump told the Journal.
When asked for comment, the White House shared a statement from Barbabella, the White House doctor who graduated from from the A.T. Still University Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine in Kirksville, Missouri.
“President Trump’s medical evaluations and laboratory results continue to show excellent metabolic health, and have revealed his cardiovascular health puts him 14 years younger than his age,” he said. “Overall, the President remains in exceptional health and perfectly suited to execute his duties as Commander in Chief.”
