A Washington State University medical professor claims he can prove America’s oldest president suffered a stroke based solely on public video analysis, sparking a fierce debate about presidential health transparency and the ethics of remote medical diagnosis.
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The Professor’s Diagnosis From Afar
Bruce Davidson from Washington State University’s medical school dropped a bombshell on “The Court of History” podcast, claiming Trump exhibits classic signs of left-brain stroke recovery.
Davidson points to foot shuffling, word garbling, excessive daytime drowsiness, protective right-hand cradling, and Trump’s switch to using his left hand on Air Force One stairs despite being naturally right-handed. The professor estimates the stroke occurred around six months ago or earlier in 2025.
Davidson admits he has never personally examined Trump, calling his assessment an “impression” based on publicly available videos. This remote diagnosis approach raises serious questions about medical ethics and the reliability of such claims, yet Davidson’s credentials as a professor of medicine lend his observations weight in the eyes of some observers.
White House Pushes Back Hard
The administration’s response has been swift and categorical. White House officials vehemently deny any stroke occurred, with spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt stating Trump is “doing well healthwise.” The official line attributes observed symptoms to chronic venous insufficiency diagnosed in July 2024, which causes ankle swelling, and Trump’s admitted overuse of aspirin, leading to hand bruising.
Trump himself has weighed in on Truth Social, claiming he “never felt better” while simultaneously revealing new details about wearing compression socks and taking aspirin. The president’s own admissions about these medical interventions ironically provide ammunition for both supporters who see transparency and critics who question what else might be hidden.
The Trail of Troubling Signs
The speculation didn’t emerge in a vacuum. A timeline of concerning incidents stretches back through 2025, starting with visible hand bruising in July and August that the White House attributed to excessive handshaking. An unscheduled Walter Reed visit in mid-October, initially called a routine physical, was later revealed to include CT and MRI scans to rule out cardiovascular issues.
More recently, Trump appeared to doze during a December Cabinet meeting, and social media erupted over a September photo showing what appeared to be facial drooping. These incidents, combined with observers noting changes from Trump’s previous energetic golf-course stride to a more cautious movement, feed the narrative that something significant has changed.
The Dangerous Game of Armchair Medicine
Davidson’s claims highlight a troubling trend in political discourse: medical professionals offering diagnoses without direct patient contact. While his observations about gait changes and motor function may seem compelling to laypeople, the medical community generally frowns upon such remote assessments. The symptoms Davidson cites could equally result from normal aging, medication side effects, or the chronic venous insufficiency already acknowledged by the White House.
The professor’s certainty about a left-brain stroke affecting right-side motor control sounds authoritative, but medical diagnosis requires comprehensive examination, patient history, and diagnostic testing that simply cannot be conducted through video analysis. This approach risks undermining legitimate medical expertise while potentially spreading misinformation about a sitting president’s health.
Sources:
Futurism – Doctor Claims Trump Shows Signs of Stroke
Hindustan Times – Bombshell Report on Trump’s Health Issues
The Daily Beast – Doctor Points to Evidence Trump Suffered Medical Issue
Wikipedia – Age and Health Concerns About Donald Trump