USJAN 6, 2026
Trump, 79, Struggles To Descend Air Force One Stairs After Surprise Health Disclosure
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President Donald Trump, 79, moved carefully as he exited Air Force One on Sunday evening after returning to Washington, D.C., following a two-week stay at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida.
Video footage showed Trump gripping the handrail as he descended the aircraft stairs at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.
His eyes were focused on the red carpet-covered staircase in front of him as he cautiously stepped down.
Highlights
- President Trump cautiously descended Air Force One, gripping the handrail and focusing on each step due to leg swelling issues.
- Trump revealed he has chronic venous insufficiency, causing leg swelling, which was treated briefly with compression socks he found uncomfortable.
- The president admitted fear of publicly stumbling on stairs, contrasting his cautious steps with former President Biden's frequent falls.
- Trump continues to take a high daily aspirin dose for blood thinning despite doctors' advice to reduce it, citing superstition.
Trump was seen gripping the handrail and cautiously stepping down Air Force One
Image credits: Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Trump arrived in Palm Beach County on December 20 for a 15-day stay and returned to D.C. on January 4.
He walked towards Marine One, dragging his right leg and stopping for chats along the way. As he reached the helicopter, he veered to the left of the door before getting in.
Trump, whose health has been under major scrutiny since he began his second term, recently told The Wall Street Journal that he visited Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in mid-July after experiencing “mild swelling” in his lower legs.
An ultrasound later showed he has chronic venous insufficiency, a common condition in older adults that affects blood flow from the legs back to the heart.
Trump confirmed the diagnosis during the interview and said he briefly wore compression socks to address the swelling but stopped because he found them uncomfortable.
“I didn’t like them,” Trump said.
This is not the first time Trump has been seen laboring down steps: in a video of Trump getting off Air Force One just before Christmas, he slaps his right leg three times with his right hand before heading down the stairs slowly.
Image credits: Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images
Trump has previously spoken about his fear of steps. In September last year, he admitted to being apprehensive of publicly stumbling and falling like former President Joe Biden.
“Every day, the guy’s falling down stairs,” Trump told military generals who were gathered in Quantico.
“I’m very careful. You know, when I walk downstairs—like I’m on stairs, like these stairs—I walk very slowly. 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.”
Sean Barbabella, Trump’s White House physician, told the WSJ that the president’s condition is “superficial chronic venous insufficiency” that affects only smaller veins and is treatable.
Trump said the swelling has since improved and that he tries to stand and walk more throughout the day.
Trump previously admitted he’s scared of falling down stairs
Image credits: The White House/Flickr
However, he said he has little interest in structured exercise beyond playing golf.
“To walk on a treadmill or run on a treadmill for hours and hours like some people do, that’s not for me,” he said. “I just don’t like it. It’s boring.”
Trump also discussed his long-term use of aspirin, saying he takes 325 milligrams daily, four times the low-dose amount commonly recommended for cardiac prevention.
Barbabella confirmed that doctors advised Trump to reduce the amount, but Trump said he has continued the same dose for roughly 25 years.
“I’m a little superstitious,” Trump said. “They say aspirin is good for thinning out the blood, and I don’t want thick blood pouring through my heart. I want nice, thin blood pouring through my heart. Does that make sense?”
He added that the aspirin causes easy bruising, particularly on his hands.
Image credits: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
He said he sometimes uses makeup to cover bruises after minor injuries or accidental knocks.
Trump’s bruised hands began showing in pictures back in February, when Trump welcomed French President Emmanuel Macron to the White House. A photo of his bruised right hand caked in makeup went viral, spurring concerns about his declining health.
Trump also provided clarification for a recent event where Attorney General Pam Bondi accidentally nicked his hand with a ring during a high-five.
“The ring hit the back of my hand, and, yes, there was a slight little cut,” Trump said.
Trump also provided clarity about an imaging test he underwent in October. He said the procedure was a CT scan, not an MRI, and that doctors found no abnormalities.
Image credits: The White House/Flickr
“It wasn’t an MRI,” he said. “It was less than that. It was a scan.”
He also rejected claims that he falls asleep during meetings, saying photographs showing his eyes closed were misleading.
“I’ll just close. It’s very relaxing to me,” Trump said. “Sometimes they’ll take a picture of me blinking.”
Trump has been photographed seeming to sleep during several events in the past few months.