Trump’s Strange Bulge and Stumbling Steps Have Viewers Calling B.S. on That MRI
It’s been days since Donald Trump touched down in South Korea, but one moment from his arrival still has people talking.
A 30-second clip of the 79-year-old exiting Air Force One has been replayed countless times, with viewers zeroing in on the president’s slow, careful steps — and something else the camera caught that’s now fueling fresh speculation about his health.
After landing in the nation for the Asia‑Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit on Oct. 28, Trump was seen slowly walking down the steps of the presidential airplane.
The American president’s sluggish, step-by-step descent from Air Force One added to the speculation surrounding his well-being. Additionally, the moment sparked intrusive questions when observers noticed what appeared to be a lump in his suit.
“What’s with the bulge on his right side?” outspoken anti-Trump, ex-Republican activist George Conway wondered on X. People in the replies proposed the unknown protrusion was a “heart monitor” while another replied, “catheter bag”?
Trump gingerly goes down the Air Force One steps after landing in South Korea pic.twitter.com/ehmyXVYmTv
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 29, 2025
One X user pointed out Trump concentrating on each step as he went down the stairway by posting, “Holding onto that railing for dear life.” Another person tweeted, “Surprisingly, he hasn’t bought himself a stairlift. Yet.”
However, a Trump supporter suggested, “Have you given thought to the fact he may be wearing a protective vest?”
A separate image circulating on Threads draws attention to the bulge around Trump’s left knee as one person posted, “We recognize the ill-fitting blue suit, the Cankles, the width of that blob-like physique, and that rotted right paw, but what’s this?”
Trump’s predecessor, 82-year-old former President Joe Biden, got a mention when another person on the app wrote, “And they told me Biden was too old.”
Back in June, Trump was photographed alongside professional mixed martial artist Kayla Harrison at the UFC 316 event in New Jersey. A particular photo of the MAGA chief wearing Harrison’s bantamweight championship belt around his waist inspired internet sleuths to theorize that Trump had a tube inserted into his bladder.
There were unproven allegations that Trump was wearing a Foley catheter under his suit while attending the UFC fight. White House spokesperson Steven Cheung denied the claim to the fact-checking website Snopes.
“The President has been the most transparent president in history, and the recent medical report that was released clearly and unequivocally shows he is in peak condition,” Cheung, 43, told the outlet.
He continued, “These conspiracy theories peddled by demented individuals hiding behind social media, and now being given a platform by the fake news, clearly suffer from a debilitating case of Trump Derangement Syndrome.”
Since beginning his second term as president in January, observers have routinely focused on Trump’s entrance and exit from Air Force One as a way to monitor his physical strength and fitness.
In particular, onlookers noticed “watch your step” messages on the stairs of the plane as the oldest American to take the presidential oath of office carefully climbed the steps following a meeting in Alaska on Aug. 15.
Trump has shown signs of being obsessed with stairs. His speech at the Marine Corps base in Virginia, on Sept. 30, included a peculiar section where the commander in chief shared his thoughts on former President Barack Obama, 64.
“A few of our presidents have fallen, and it became a part of their legacy. We don’t want that,” Trump told the military offices, after pointing out that Biden had trouble with stairs as well.
He resumed, “You walk nice and easy. You don’t have to set any record. Be cool when you walk down, but don’t bop down the stairs. So, one thing with Obama, I had zero respect for him as a president, but he would bop down those stairs.”
Despite the constant concerns about Trump’s stilted walk, noticeable bruises on his right hand, and visible swollen ankles, his physician, Capt. Sean P. Barbabella, insists the former has maintained that the billionaire is in “excellent health.”
Barbabella did confirm that Trump was diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency in July. The medical condition is characterized by blood pooling in the lower extremities. Symptoms include hyperpigmentation, inflammation, and swelling of the lower limbs.
