President Donald Trump will turn 80 on Sunday, giving his political enemies a new opening to raise questions about his age even as the White House points to his relentless public schedule as evidence that he remains capable of handling the demands of the presidency.
Democrats and some media outlets have increasingly highlighted videos showing Trump with his eyes closed during meetings and public events, along with images of bruising on his hands and clips in which he has stumbled over names or details. Critics have also noted his cautious gait and reports that he has experienced leg swelling and gained weight between physicals, reports The Wall Street Journal.
Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., recently played a video of Trump appearing to close his eyes during a cabinet meeting at a congressional hearing.
“This is not something that’s normal, and the White House just has to come clean, explain to American people what is going on,” Lieu said. “Imagine what he’s like when the cameras are not there.”
🚨WATCH: Secretary of State Marco Rubio SHREDS Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) after the Democrat claims there is "something wrong" with President Trump's health.
"We had a cognitively impaired president in office a few years ago … This president we have, this is a guy that literally… pic.twitter.com/wS4Iv5tg94
— Off The Press (@OffThePress1) June 3, 2026
The criticism has intensified as Trump approaches a milestone few presidents have reached while serving in office. He began his second term at 78 years and seven months old, making him the oldest president ever inaugurated.
But the White House has argued that the attacks ignore a critical distinction between Trump and former President Joe Biden: Trump remains highly visible.
Unlike Biden, whose aides tightly controlled his public appearances before his disastrous June 2024 debate performance forced him from the presidential race, Trump routinely speaks to reporters for extended periods, takes unscheduled phone calls and posts frequently on social media. His advisers have made him a nearly constant presence in American political life, a strategy that creates opportunities for unguarded moments but also places his stamina on public display.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt called the Democratic criticism hypocritical.
“The Democrat coverup of Joe Biden’s decline remains one of the worst political scandals in modern American history,” Leavitt said. “President Trump and the White House have nothing to hide.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio dismissed the concerns as “absurd and ridiculous,” saying Trump “works day and night, long hours, every single day.”
Trump has occasionally acknowledged the realities of aging. Speaking with a health adviser this week, he joked that he did not want birthday wishes.
“You don’t have to wish me a happy birthday because I’m not happy about that birthday that I’m having,” Trump said. “It’s not a number I like, but I’m here nevertheless.”
He has also said he takes care to avoid a public fall, recognizing how quickly such an image could define media coverage.
“I’m very careful when I walk, by the way, because if I ever fall…that headline will go on for years,” Trump said during a Rose Garden event.
The president plans to mark his birthday by hosting a first-of-its-kind Ultimate Fighting Championship event on the White House lawn, an unusual spectacle designed to project strength and energy.
The age debate is unlikely to disappear. But unlike Biden, Trump is not attempting to avoid public scrutiny. His strategy is the opposite: remain visible, take questions and dare his critics to make the case that occasional stumbles outweigh an aggressive schedule conducted in full public view.
