President Donald Trump is once again facing uncomfortable questions about his health after a prominent physician and CNN medical analyst publicly raised concerns about whether the 79-year-old president is dealing with a serious sleep-related condition that could affect his ability to serve.
Dr. Jonathan Reiner, a cardiologist and professor of medicine, sounded the alarm during a May 26 appearance on CNN, telling anchor Kate Bolduan that the public deserves a clearer picture of whether Trump is fully “fit for duty.”
His comments came as Trump prepared for another physical exam at Walter Reed Military Medical Center, amid renewed online speculation over the president’s visible bruising, swollen ankles, and recent public moments in which critics claim he appeared unusually tired or unfocused.
Reiner did not mince words.
“The president has severe daytime somnolence,” he said. “He falls asleep very often.”
That claim immediately added fuel to a debate that has followed Trump throughout his second term: how much does the public really know about the president’s health?
The doctor pointed to several visible concerns that have circulated online in recent months, including bruising on Trump’s hands and apparent swelling around his ankles. The White House has previously brushed off the bruising as the result of frequent handshaking, but Reiner suggested Americans need a more complete explanation.
He also referenced reports and clips that appeared to show Trump struggling to stay alert during official duties.
“He’s fallen asleep in the Oval Office on multiple occasions with people talking to him in the Cabinet Room,” Reiner claimed. “And there was concern yesterday that he might have fallen asleep at Arlington National Cemetery during Memorial Day observances.”
Daytime somnolence, also known as hypersomnia, refers to an excessive or uncontrollable urge to fall asleep during the day. While occasional fatigue can happen to anyone, Reiner warned that repeated episodes in a man Trump’s age should not be casually dismissed.
He called on the White House to be more transparent about what doctors have done to evaluate the president and whether any treatment plan is in place.
“What evaluations have been done?” Reiner asked, adding that officials should explain why Trump appears to have increased daytime sleepiness and what is being done to address it.
The warning carried even more weight because Reiner connected chronic sleep problems to potentially serious long-term health risks.
“Chronic insomnia is a severe illness,” he said. “It can result in an increase in risk of dementia, decrease in cognitive effects in older people.”
He also said excessive daytime sleepiness can be linked to a higher risk of heart attacks and cognitive decline.
“It’s a real problem,” Reiner said. “And the president appears to struggle to stay awake during the day.”
For Trump’s critics, the remarks landed like a political thunderclap. Democrats have spent years arguing that Trump’s behavior, speech patterns, and public outbursts raise serious questions about his fitness for office. Now, a medical analyst is putting fresh attention on whether the issue may go beyond politics and into the president’s physical condition.
The White House, however, fired back hard.
A Trump administration spokesperson denied the concerns and insisted the president remains in strong condition.
“President Trump is the sharpest and most accessible President in American history who is working nonstop to solve problems and deliver on his promises, and he remains in excellent health,” White House spokesperson Davis Ingle said in a statement to the Associated Press.
Trump himself also tried to slam the door on the speculation. On Truth Social, he claimed his most recent medical checkup went flawlessly.
“Just finished my 6-month physical at Walter Reed Military Medical Center,” Trump wrote. “Everything checked out PERFECTLY. Thank you to the great Doctors and Staff! Heading back to the White House.”
Still, the public reassurance has not stopped the questions.
Trump also sparked fresh online chatter this week after clips of him speaking to reporters led some viewers to claim he was slurring his words. In one exchange, Trump repeated his long-running claim that elections were “rigged” and declared, “If we had Jesus Christ come down and count the votes, I would have won California.”
The comment quickly spread online, where critics questioned not only the substance of the claim but also Trump’s delivery.
“The slurred speech is really something else,” one social media user wrote. “So why are we not talking about the slurred speech of our president?”
The growing scrutiny puts the White House in a familiar but difficult position. Trump has built much of his political brand around strength, stamina, and dominance. But as he approaches 80, every bruise, stumble, pause, and odd public moment is being dissected by political opponents, medical commentators, and voters already uneasy about the demands of the presidency.
For now, Trump and his team insist there is nothing to see.
But Reiner’s warning has made one thing clear: the questions about Trump’s health are not going away. And with the presidency carrying life-or-death decisions every day, critics say the American people deserve more than a social media post saying everything is “PERFECT.”
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