US President Donald Trump has once again triggered health concerns after "disturbing images" surfaced showing him allegedly "barely able to comfortably move". Pictures of him playing golf circulated on social media over the weekend, prompting harsh comments about his appearance and suggestions from some that he may be deteriorating.
Social media reaction to Trump's golf outing
In the three pictures, Trump, who continues to face speculation about his physical and mental wellbeing, is depicted twice walking in golf attire and a white USA baseball cap, with a third shot showing him driving a golf cart. One X user said: "This is not the gait of a well man." Another said: "Nobody gonna talk about that left wrist and arm?" A third said: "He does not look well at all." And a fourth said: "Gosh, he looks terrible."
David Pakman's commentary
The pictures also grabbed the attention of vocal Trump critic and political commentator David Pakman, who described them as "disgusting and dilapidated" and "disturbing", claiming the 80-year-old's "gait is laboured", reports the Express. He said on his YouTube channel: "Incredibly disturbing images of Donald Trump have surfaced from this weekend. I am going to argue that, as disgusting and dilapidated as these images are, and they're very disgusting. I'm warning you, if you're eating right now, this is not going to be the segment for you. These images are nothing compared to what they represent about Trump's presidency."
Health speculation and doctor's assessment
In recent months, Trump has been hit by a barrage of health speculation, with observers highlighting swollen ankles, bruising on his hands, rambling speeches and instances where he appeared to struggle to remain alert during meetings. However, in May, his doctor, Capt Sean Barbabella, declared the POTUS was in "excellent health", penning in a memo that he possessed "strong cardiac, pulmonary, neurological and overall physical function". He also tackled Trump's hand bruising and weight, but maintained he was "fully fit to carry out all duties of the Commander-in-Chief and Head of State".
David acknowledged that you "can't diagnose Trump from photographs", but doesn't appear to be persuaded. He continued: "And people notice from the images that Donald Trump appears to be having serious difficulty getting around. His posture is awkward, his gait is laboured. He seems barely able to comfortably move from the golf cart when he is trying to get to the ball, or even going back and talking to people. Now, of course, we can speculate, and we've been having to speculate for years, but we don't really need to. Is something wrong with Trump's legs? Is it Trump's weight? Is it something else?"
Doctored image post
Separately, Trump grabbed headlines this week after posting a doctored image of himself from his weekend golf outing. In what appeared to be an image enhanced using AI, Trump looked more youthful. He captioned the post: "With the great Gary Player, today, at Bedminster!"
