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CNN’s Sanjay Gupta Dumps Cold Water On Trump Health Conspiracy Theories

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CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta dismissed conspiracy theories about President Donald Trump’s health Tuesday, explaining that the president’s physicians were open about his health.

Left-leaning accounts on X spread rumors that Trump had died or was suffering a health crisis after he kept a low profile following a marathon cabinet meeting, even though he gave an exclusive interview to Daily Caller White House correspondent Reagan Reese Friday. Gupta said that one of the medications Trump is taking could explain the apparent bruising on his hands.

“What’s your thinking about the president’s health here?” CNN host Anderson Cooper asked Gupta, who responded, “I mean, a lot of speculation. Not a lot of substance to these things. Obviously, we saw him today. He did this long press conference, seemed to be doing fine. I think these two issues, one being the bruising on the hand and the second being the swelling around the ankles, have been the things that have gotten the most attention.”

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“You know, and we’ve talked [to] a lot of doctors about this. His doctors addressed that. As you point out, they said that the swelling around the ankles is caused by something known as chronic venous insufficiency,” Gupta continued. “Blood’s just not getting back from the extremities as easily. That’s what happens. You get swelling. Pretty common in people as they get older. The bruising on the hands is interesting because it’s pretty significant bruising, but his doctors did address that as well, and they said, ‘You know, he’s on aspirin. Aspirin is a blood thinner. Shaking hands a lot, doing things.’ And people, again, as they get older, that skin gets pretty elastic. If you get a little bit of blood back there, it can spread.”

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced Trump was diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency (CVI), a condition common in people over 70, during a July briefing.

Left-wing accounts on X spread rumors that Trump had died after he was out of the public eye in late August, until he went on a Labor Day golf outing with his granddaughter, Kai. Trump survived two assasination attempts during the 2024 presidential campaign.

Trump took an annual physical at Walter Reed National Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, on April 11, conducted by United States Navy Capt. Sean P. Barbabella, who took note of Trump’s “active lifestyle” in a memo sent to Leavitt and released to the public on April 13. The memo noted Trump was on two prescription medications for cholesterol and taking aspirin for “cardiac prevention.”

The health of the president became an issue during the Biden administration. A Wall Street Journal article published Dec. 19, 2024, revealed White House aides “insulated” then-President Joe Biden, even from Cabinet members, as his health declined.

The WSJ published similar articles prior to Biden’s July 21, 2024, decision to withdraw from the race, which generated pushback from some other media outlets.