Donald Trump's team has been accused of using a strategically placed item to hide his "massive tree trunk ankles" from the public eye. Trump has faced persistent rumours about his health in recent months, even after his physician, Dr Sean Barbabella, declared that the POTUS is in "excellent health" and has "strong cardiac, pulmonary, neurological and overall physical function".
Doctor Raises Seven Points
Speculation took on a more formal tone this week in the form of an essay in the New York Times by Dr Jonathan Reiner, the doctor of former Vice President Dick Cheney. He wrote that if a panel were established to assess the POTUS' health, he'd seek clarity on seven points, insisting that the US public deserves "answers".
His points broadly questioned the roles of 22 consultants who've assessed Trump, on bruising on his hands, apparent difficulties in staying awake, past medical tests, reported use of the hair-loss drug finasteride and cognitive tests. Also mentioned was "swelling in the president's legs", which Dr Barbabella attributed to chronic venous insufficiency (CVI). Dr Reiner, however, questioned why Barbabella's physical report has also noted "no swelling".
Questions Over Swelling
Dr Reiner said that if there was no swelling, it would suggest an acute, not chronic, issue — and could point to problems such as heart or kidney disease. He questioned why there was such a "discrepancy".
It seems Trump's swollen legs are something of a bugbear for the Trump administration. Sarah Ewall-Wice, political reporter for the Daily Beast, recently sat down with journalist Joanna Coles for a chat about the letter. Joanna said: "He raises the issue of swelling in the president's legs. Now, we have been observing his cankles. Sometimes, he's flaunting his cankles. Sometimes he's hiding his cankles. What are his swollen legs about?"
Sarah replied: "So we started observing this last summer. He was travelling, and his ankles were just massive tree trunks. And they were... clearly something was wrong there." As the pair conversed, Joanna remarked that this condition looked "uncomfortable". Sarah said he "looked like he was in pain", adding that they questioned the White House about his legs, only to be told he'd been diagnosed with CVI.
Strategic Positioning
Sarah went on to claim that things were "not adding up" within the administration. She suggested that actions taken and responses given afterwards "do not align", despite the administration's stated aim of being "transparent". She said: "And to this day, we sometimes see him with the swollen ankles, and we sometimes don't. But often, more often than not, his ankles are actually hidden."
Joanna said: "Well, and I think we noticed at one point, possibly with a visiting guest from Japan, I want to say it was the Japan Prime Minister that the plane, that model of Air Force One that they have in the Oval Office was strategically positioned so that when the photographers were taking pictures of the president and the guest, you couldn't see his ankles."
In March, Japan's Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, visited Trump at a time when he was urging allies to help the US secure the Strait of Hormuz. Photos from the Oval Office show Takaichi sitting beside Trump, with a model aircraft placed on the table directly in front of him. In some, but not all, of the angles taken on the day, the model plane is prominent in the frame and partially obscures Trump from view. Some even appear to shield his legs.
Speaking further about the notion, Sarah said this is one observation they allegedly "continually do", noting that observers won't be able to see the president's ankles due to "what's on the table". Sarah said: "That was one observation that has been made that they continually do specifically, that's in the Oval Office. You can't see his ankles because of what's on the table. There's also the idea that a lot of his activities now happen while he's seated behind his desk." She added that you can't see his ankles if he's "already seated" before the cameras arrive.
