Donald Trump panicking about his health as President furious at 'Sleepy Joe' comparisons

Observers have noticed that President Donald Trump has recently appeared in public with bandages on his right hand, fueling fresh questions about his health. Over the past week, he has been photographed with visible coverings during several high-profile events, including the Kennedy Center Honors dinner. Those close to the president say he often uses makeup to hide persistent bruising, something he has repeatedly dismissed as unimportant.

Trump has pushed back against any discussion of his physical condition, often accusing the press of caring more about his appearance than his policies. Yet the issue continues to attract attention, especially since he has frequently mocked Joe Biden’s age and health. During Biden’s presidency, Republicans worked tirelessly to frame Biden as weak or cognitively slipping. After Biden’s challenging debate performance in mid-2024, those narratives escalated and ultimately played a role in his decision not to run again.

Now Trump is facing the same kind of scrutiny he once encouraged against others. According to aides, the president recently underwent what was described as a “preventative” MRI as part of a full medical assessment. When asked directly which part of his body had been scanned, Trump refused to answer, insisting he didn’t know and brushing off the question.

An insider speaking to AFP noted that Trump has grown “sensitive to being compared” even indirectly to Biden, and appears eager to control the public conversation about his health. During a December 2 gathering, he attempted to shift attention back to Biden, arguing that despite holding regular press briefings, he is still measured against a predecessor who, he claimed, went months without a single open press conference.

Just last month, Trump angrily disputed a report suggesting that he is confronting the natural effects of aging. He insisted he remains in “perfect” condition, saying he recently passed both a physical exam and a cognitive test. Quoting someone involved, he summed up the results with a short phrase: “That was aced.”

For a president who has long used others’ health as political ammunition, the growing spotlight on his own well-being appears to be striking a nerve and raising new questions about transparency, image management, and the double standards at play.