What Is the Blood Vessel Disease Trump Is Diagnosed With?
After photographs showed President Donald Trump with swollen ankles and bruised hands, the White House revealed he has chronic venous insufficiency—a blood vessel disease that affects circulation in the legs
U.S. president Donald Trump meets with French president Emmanuel Macron in the Oval Office at the White House on February 24, 2025.
Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
President Donald Trump has been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, a disease of the vessels that carry blood back to the heart from elsewhere in the body.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt disclosed the diagnosis during a press conference on July 17 in response to public concern raised by photographs of the president with significant swelling around his ankles and bruises on his hands. She added that Trump underwent multiple types of diagnostic tests that investigated the condition and his overall health. “The president remains in excellent health,” she said.
Chronic venous insufficiency—a subset of a larger category of conditions called venous disorders—predominantly affects the legs and causes only pain rather than more serious harm or systemic issues. The condition is quite common—affecting perhaps 5 percent of U.S. adults, according to Cleveland Clinic—and the risk of developing it increases as people age.
On supporting science journalism
If you’re enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.
The network of vessels that carries blood throughout the body includes two main types of tubing. Arteries carry freshly oxygenated blood away from the core of your body to the extremities while veins carry blood back to the heart and lungs. Arteries need to withstand high pressure and only contain between 10 and 15 percent of the body’s blood at a time. Veins are under much less pressure and therefore can have thinner walls and hold more blood. In addition, they contain one-way valves that keep blood flowing in the proper direction, back toward the internal organs.
[Related: Why Aging Comes in Dramatic Waves in Our 40s and 60s]
Makeup covers a bruise on the back of Trump’s hand as he hosts Macron for meetings at the White House on February 24, 2025.
Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Chronic venous insufficiency is characterized by weakened valves in leg arteries allowing blood to flow backward and pool under the force of gravity, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. The most common cause is a blood clot that damages the valve. Symptoms of chronic venous insufficiency predominantly affect the legs and include achiness, cramping at night, swelling and discoloration, leathery looking skin and open sores called ulcers.
The condition is more likely to occur in people who are overweight or pregnant, who have had a leg injury or blood clots or who have family members who have also dealt with chronic venous insufficiency. Other factors can include smoking and insufficient exercise.
Typically, management of chronic venous insufficiency relies on keeping the legs elevated, increasing exercise and reducing weight. In certain cases, doctors may recommend minor surgical interventions to either repair or remove damaged tissue. Chronic venous insufficiency is a progressive condition that cannot be healed or reversed, however.