On Monday, March 2, 2026, photographers captured a red, scabbed patch on the right side of President Donald Trump’s neck during a Medal of Honor event at the White House, renewing concerns about his health.
The 79-year-old’s unexplained skin problem, first noticed at his Feb. 24 State of the Union address, has reignited discussion about his condition. The irritation ran from beneath his jaw down the side of his neck, with visible scabbing under his ear; photos from a Feb. 19 Board of Peace meeting showed early signs of the redness.
Dr. Sean Barbabella, Trump’s physician, issued a cautious remark that left many questions unanswered. “President Trump is using a very common cream on the right side of his neck, which is a preventative skin treatment, prescribed by the White House Doctor,” Barbabella told The Daily Beast.
The White House did not clarify what the cream is intended to prevent, prompting skepticism from medical specialists. Some experts wondered why such pronounced symptoms would appear if the application were purely preventive. In Trump’s April 2025 health summary, Barbabella noted he used mometasone cream “as needed” for an unspecified skin issue.
The vague statement quickly sparked online conjecture. California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s team posted a photo of Trump’s neck with several eye emojis. Some commenters suggested the irritation could be related to Fluorouracil, a skin-cancer treatment commonly known as 5-FU.
Photographers also spotted the redness during Trump’s Feb. 27 appearance in Corpus Christi with actor Dennis Quaid. By the White House Medal of Honor ceremony, the rash looked worse, showing flaking and scabbed areas.
Dr. Vin Gupta, a pulmonologist and medical analyst for NBC News and MSNBC, criticized the White House explanation on social media, calling the claim that the cream is called preventative “nonsensical.”
Common causes of such rashes include contact dermatitis from shaving products or fragrances, razor irritation, allergic reactions, heat rash, or friction from clothing. Viral conditions like shingles can also produce localized rashes; however, no formal diagnosis has been released.
The odd neck irritation is one of several recent health concerns about Trump. In February 2025, photos showed dark bruises on his hand partly concealed by makeup. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the marks resulted from frequent handshakes, noting Trump “meets more Americans and shakes their hands daily than any other president in history.”
In July 2025, images from the FIFA Club World Cup final in New Jersey showed swelling around Trump’s ankles and lower legs as he sat between First Lady Melania Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino. The White House later confirmed he has chronic venous insufficiency, a circulation disorder common in older adults that causes swelling.
The administration has also faced criticism for limited transparency about Trump’s medical matters. In October 2025, the White House didn’t disclose that Trump had a CT scan at Walter Reed until he mentioned it to reporters on Air Force One; officials initially described it only as “advanced imaging” before clarifying that it had examined his abdomen and heart.
Concerns about Trump’s cognitive clarity have increased as well. He has sometimes seemed to drift off during public events and frequently mixes up names and dates. At the Medal of Honor ceremony, he veered from mentioning a war in Iran to commenting about gold curtains and expansion projects at the White House.
In a Jan. 1, 2026 interview with The Wall Street Journal, Trump said he takes a daily 325-milligram dose of aspirin as a blood thinner — four times the commonly used 81-milligram dose — and officials have linked his aspirin use to his tendency to bruise easily.
When sworn in in January 2025, Trump was 78 years and seven months old, making him the oldest person ever inaugurated as U.S. president. Although he has insisted he is in “great shape,” the mounting health questions have invited comparisons to previous scrutiny directed at Joe Biden.
As images of the irritated skin circulated on social media, the White House’s continued reluctance to provide more detailed medical information has intensified speculation about what else might be unknown regarding the president’s health.