Speculation Erupts as Trump, 79, Bites on Mystery Blue Object at U.S. Open
The photographer behind the picture said the president was “very discreet.”
Andres Kudacki
A photograph of Donald Trump with a mysterious blue object between his teeth at the U.S. Open has sparked furious online speculation.
Photographer Andres Kudacki snapped the president watching the men’s final between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz on Sunday. The photo shows the president, flanked by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, about to bite down on the blue object.
Kudacki said Trump was “taking a tablet” in a post on X. When contacted by the Daily Beast on Sunday, Kudacki said he did not know what kind of tablet it was. “I don’t know what it was specifically, I said it was a ‘tablet’ as that works for both, a mint or a [medical] tablet,” he said.
U.S. President Donald Trump takes a tablet as he watches the U.S. Open men’s final between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz on Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025, in New York. Photo: Andres Kudacki. #trump #usopen pic.twitter.com/QH6OZCSpqM
— Andres Kudacki (@AndresKudacki) September 7, 2025
The award-winning Argentinian photographer, based in New York, also confirmed he didn’t see Trump take the object out of a container, noting, “He was very discreet.”
“I was waiting for some reaction from him, he’s a big personality,” Kudacki said of snapping Trump.
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The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for clarification.
Speculation on X over what Trump may have been about to consume has ranged from blue-colored Wintergreen Altoid mints to a range of potential medications available in blue pills, including the blue, square-shaped Hygroton, which is used for high blood pressure and edema.
Looks like an Altoid. They look like these Sugar Free Wintergreen Mints. pic.twitter.com/u7WH2oyNbV
— Common Sense Republican:us: (@liberconss) September 8, 2025
Edema is swelling that is caused by having fluid trapped in the body’s tissues. While it can affect any part of the body, it is most commonly present in legs and feet.
After the president’s swollen ankles and bruised hands became more evident, the White House admitted in July that he had been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, an affliction which develops when key valves in leg veins are no longer able to help blood flow back up to the heart.

Trump was diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency after questions arose about his swollen ankles.
The Daily Beast/Reuters
Leavitt said the checkup came after the president had “noted mild swelling in his lower legs,” with the physician conducting a “comprehensive examination, including diagnostic vascular studies.”
A report released in April said his blood pressure was 128 over 74, which is considered elevated, but the White House did not say whether he was taking medication for high blood pressure.
The physical stated Trump’s daily medications were rosuvastatin and ezetimibe to treat cholesterol, plus aspirin. Another of Trump’s doctors revealed in 2017 that at that time he was taking finasteride to treat baldness.
The medication speculation comes after the Labor Day weekend when social media was abuzz with wild claims that the president’s lack of public appearances could have been hiding a health incident. On X, the hashtags #TRUMPISDEAD and #TRUMPDIED went viral.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, US Attorney General Pam Bondi, U.S. President Donald Trump, granddaughter to Donald Trump Arabella Kushner, and Former Senior Advisor to the President Jared Kushner attend the Men's Singles Final match between Jannik Sinner of Italy and Carlos Alcaraz of Spain on September 7.
Al Bello/Getty Images
The mint theory, however, could very well prove correct. Trump was caught on camera discussing his use of Tic Tacs to improve his breath in a crude conversation in 2005, released in 2016 by The Washington Post.
Talking to Billy Bush ahead of uttering the infamous “grab them by the p--y” line, Trump says “Yeah that’s her with the gold. I better use some Tic Tacs just in case I start kissing her. You know I’m automatically attracted to beautiful... I just start kissing them. It’s like a magnet. Just kiss. I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star they let you do it. You can do anything.”
Tic Tac later denounced Trump’s comments, writing in a then-Twitter post, “Tic Tac respects all women. We find the recent statements and behavior completely inappropriate and unacceptable.”
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