America is split on whether Donald Trump’s health and age are impacting his ability to serve as president, a new poll has found.
Speculation over Trump’s physical fitness during his second term has grown ever since photos of his swollen ankles and bruised hands, which are sometimes covered by makeup, began circulating online.
Online rumors reached a fever pitch when Trump, 79, did not make a public appearance over the Labor Day weekend, aside from a brief sighting at his Virginia golf course Saturday.
In a YouGov survey conducted Tuesday, 38 percent of Americans said Trump’s health and age “severely limit his ability to do the job” as president, while 21 percent said it had “little effect.”
There was also a good chunk of Americans who either said Trump’s health and age had no effect on his presidential fitness, 26 percent, or were unsure, 15 percent.
During his first public appearance in a week, Trump was asked if he had seen the rumors swirling about whether he was dead or suffering from a serious health issue. The president said he hadn’t, called the rumors “fake news” and said, “I was very active this Labor Day weekend.”
Trump had also taken to Truth Social late Sunday afternoon, writing, “NEVER FELT BETTER IN MY LIFE.”
The Independent has reached out to the White House for comment.
Questions about physical fitness and mental acuity were a major talking point during the 2024 presidential campaign and election.
Most of the heat was on former President Joe Biden, now 82, who dropped out of the race months before the election after a dismal debate performance where he incoherently answered questions.
In May, Biden was diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer. The diagnosis raised questions over whether the Biden administration was always transparent about the former president’s health.
On Monday, a former Biden administration aide, Meghan Hays, accused the Trump administration of not being transparent about the president’s empty Labor Day weekend schedule.
“I think in August he spent 26 days doing public events or talking to press. So, to go down for six days and just have a slew of Truth Social posts that are very chaotic, and people can’t follow all of them is very concerning,” Hays told CNN on Monday, per The Hill.
She continued: “And I think that people have raised the question. The president could just be taking a few days down in August, which is normal for presidents to do. Or there could be actually something wrong.”
“The problem is we don’t know, and they’re not being transparent about it.”
