Fresh concerns have been raised over the health of President Donald Trump after reports claimed that his personal doctor is under orders to remain within three minutes of him at all times.
Dr. Sean Barbarella is the man tasked with overseeing Trump’s general health and well being. Trump is the oldest person to ever be elected president, and only last week admitted he takes four times the daily amount of aspirin recommended.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Trump orders White House staff to leave the room before he and Dr. Barbarella hold conversations, while a source described Barbarella’s demeanour as “low-key” and “direct”.
For his part, the doctor has repeatedly stated that the president’s physical and cognitive abilities remain “excellent”.
Of course, not everyone is convinced.
Trump has been seen with large bruising on his hand multiple times throughout 2026, while other video clips to be found online suggest he has fallen asleep in meetings and at events.
Debated memory lapses have been the subject of speculation of late, while White House correspondents Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan reportedly raised concerns in their book Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump (published earlier this year) about his condition, claiming he ‘seems old’ and experiences ‘repeated bouts of drowsiness’.
In a video that went viral earlier this week, Trump could be seen apparently waving to no one as he made his way to an aircraft to take him to Kansas for a midterm election address.
Dr. Barbarella, however, insisted in a recent report that the POTUS ‘demonstrates strong cardiac, pulmonary, neurological and overall physical function’.
“AI-enhanced electrocardiogram (ECG) analysis estimated his cardiac age, an established measure of cardiovascular vitality, to be approximately 14 years younger than his chronological age,” Barbarella added.
“His demanding daily schedule, including multiple high-level meetings, public engagements, and regular physical activity, continues to support his overall well-being. Cognitive and physical performance are excellent. He is fully fit to carry out all duties of the Commander-in-Chief and Head of State.”
In a speech Trump made last week at the White House, he made a comment about having “very severe problems”. Needless to say, that was enough to reignite the ongoing back-and-forth online regarding exactly what his general state of health is.
Claiming he had never being tempted by alcohol or drugs, he made the following admission: “I have some very severe problems, but those are not one of them. I don’t want to add them to the list. Because if I did, I guarantee I wouldn’t be here right now.”
He then seemed to backtrack on the comment, suggesting that Attorney General Todd Blanche, his former personal lawyer, could be forced to defend him if people began asking what he meant.
As per reports, the three-minute rule cited at the top of this article (pertaining to the idea that Dr. Sean Barbarella must always be in close proximity to Trump) is not in itself unusual for a sitting president.
Dr Jeffrey Kuhlman, who served in the White House during the administrations of Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama, has previously suggested that other presidents have had similar arrangements.
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