On Jan. 4, 2026, President Donald Trump, 79, cautiously alighted from Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, following a more than two-week stay in Palm Beach County at Mar-a-Lago. This marked the beginning of his return journey to Washington, D.C.
The resident’s careful descent was observed a day after a press conference on Venezuela, held on Jan. 3, where Trump seemed to struggle with his speech and closed his eyes during Gen. Dan Caine’s address, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs.
Previously, in September 2025, Trump expressed concern about the stairs at Quantico Marine Corps Base. “I walk very slowly,” he acknowledged to the military generals. “Nobody has to set a record. Just try not to fall because it doesn’t work out well… Just walk nice and easy. You don’t have to set any record.”
Trump’s cautious approach is drawing comparisons to his predecessor Joe Biden, who was 82 when he left office. It was observed that Trump would tap his right leg thrice before descending stairs, a pattern noticed just before Christmas.
Trump’s physical movements have been under the spotlight, including his dragging right leg and the exaggerated path he took towards Marine One.
Public interest swelled around Trump’s health after details about his medical examinations and treatments surfaced.
In summer 2025, Trump was examined for mild swelling in his lower legs and diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency. During a follow-up visit to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Oct. 10, 2025, Trump underwent advanced imaging, including an MRI. Medical professionals like Dr. Jonathan Reiner, former Vice President Dick Cheney’s cardiologist, noted that such examinations are typically symptom-driven.
Trump’s physician, Navy Captain Dr. Sean P. Barbabella, issued official statements regarding Trump’s health. Barbabella confirmed that Trump had undergone advanced imaging as part of his physical examinations, and asserted that the president was in “exceptional health.”
Trump began his extended holiday stay in Palm Beach County on Dec. 20, and his travel schedule has been filled with significant meetings and international journeys, leading to frequent use of Air Force One.
Dr. Bruce Davidson, a professor at Washington State University’s Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine and a specialist in pulmonary medicine, hypothesized on a podcast hosted by author and political adviser Sidney Blumenthal and Princeton University historian Professor Sean Wilentz that Trump might have had a stroke earlier in 2025, based on his observed gait and speech patterns. Davidson, however, has not examined Trump and is not his physician.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has stated that Trump remains in excellent health, a sentiment echoed by Dr. Barbabella. Leavitt has said that the public can judge the president’s health by his daily appearance.
On January 21, 2026, Trump was observed struggling to descend Air Force One stairs after arriving in Zurich, Switzerland, for the World Economic Forum in Davos. The 79-year-old president appeared visibly tired and moved very slowly down the stairs after his flight was delayed by approximately three hours due to an electrical issue that forced Air Force One to return to Washington, D.C. The delay came after Trump had attended a college football game Monday night, arriving home after 2 a.m., and held a 104-minute White House press briefing on Tuesday.
Trump is on course to become the oldest president in U.S. history, and rumors surrounding his physical and mental health have been rife for several months.