Desperate Trump, 80, Tries to Prove He’s Still Healthy
The president doubled down on a two-week-old interview.

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Donald Trump spammed his social media with a two-week-old interview where Vice President JD Vance insists his boss has “off the charts” health.
Trump, 80, spent Sunday evening on his Truth Social platform, sharing thoughts and prayers for Venezuela after the horrific earthquake, and a large painting that included his face alongside Mount Rushmore, the Statue of Liberty, George Washington, and an astronaut.
The oldest man to be inaugurated as U.S. president also took time to share an interview Vance gave to the MAGA-friendly network CBS, which originally aired on June 14, Trump’s 80th birthday.
U.S. President Donald Trump gestures as he enters the White House, in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 28, 2026.
Ken Cedeno/REUTERS
The president was still so thrilled with the interview two weeks later that he shared both a video and a transcript of the glowing praise about him it contained.
In the CBS interview, Vance tells Robert Costa that Trump’s health, at age 80, is “off the charts good” and confirms his insomnia.
“His focus, his energy, his constant grinding. I mean, the presidency is a crazy job,” Vance said, saying that Trump has work issues coming at him “all hours of the night.”
Get the best of The Beast delivered right to your inbox
By clicking “SUBSCRIBE” you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
“The joke that I have with Scott Bessent, our Treasury Secretary, is, we get a call at 2:30 in the morning and it’s the president and he’s like, ‘Were you awake?’ And it’s like, ‘Yes, sir. I’m always awake at 2:30 a.m.’”

President Trump shares a two-week-old interview about his health by JD Vance.
Truth Social
Vance said Trump is “trying to make every single day count” and is “in great health.”
Despite Vance’s claims, Trump has suffered from visibly bruised hands and swollen ankles during his second term, and has been caught on camera falling asleep during meetings at the White House, with his loyal aides claiming he is merely blinking. Trump has attempted to cover the bruises on his hands with concealer.
The president has also sported a mysterious neck rash, bragged repeatedly about “acing” a dementia screening exam that he claims measures intelligence, and has a habit of rambling off-topic during interviews and speeches.

Donald Trump with makeup covering the bruising on his hand.
Photo Illustration by The Daily Beast/Getty Images
In their book Regime Change, journalists Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan claim that Trump also struggles with his hearing and would move meetings from the East Wing to the Oval Office, where the acoustics are better, and he could sit rather than stand.
Another explosive claim in the book is that some of his aides began to privately say Trump was “beginning to seem old to them,” in his second term, and were noticing “moments of fatigue” such as a “cupped hand” behind his ear.
Speaking to Kaitlan Collins on CNN’s The Source last week, Swan said Trump’s failing health is something his administration ensures is “very well concealed” from the public.
“I‘m not even sure that his most senior aides have a clear picture of his health, about all the aspects of his medical reports,” Swan said.
He also claimed that the White House regularly saying there was transparency about Trump’s health was “manifestly not the case” and that the medical information released to the public was “very incomplete.”
Meanwhile, a new poll suggests that the majority of Americans do not believe the White House is being open about President Donald Trump’s health, despite its claims of transparency.
Nearly six in 10 voters, 59 percent, think the White House is not being transparent about the president’s health, while just 34 percent think the White House is being transparent, according to the Quinnipiac poll.
The new polling found that 50 percent of voters, given what they have heard, believe the president is not physically healthy, while 46 percent think he is. Another 51 percent of voters do not believe Trump is mentally healthy, while 46 percent believe he is.
Trump spent three hours at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, on May 26, where he was treated by 22 specialists. For his previous check-up, he was examined by 14 doctors.
Unlock a year of full access to The Looker and The Daily Beast for $35.
Monthly
$1
First month then $5.99/month
Annual
$35
First year then $59.99/year
Premium
$79
First year then $119.99/year
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Looks like you already have a subscription!
You're all set!
Thanks for subscribing.
Register below to read this article for free or subscribe
to unlock unlimited access to The Looker and The Daily Beast.
Monthly
$1
First month then $5.99/month
Annual
$35
First year then $59.99/year
Premium
$79
First year then $119.99/year
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Already have an account? Sign In
Looks like you already have a subscription!
You're all set!
Thanks for subscribing.
Sign in
Login dialog


ADVERTISEMENT
Sign in or create an account
Login dialog
Loading comments…
ADVERTISEMENT