Despite a resounding victory in the Republican caucus in Iowa last night, doctors are warning that Donald Trump has looked tired, emaciated and unsteady on his feet in recent months.
The 77-year-old, normally full of energy and charisma, looked unusually weak and unsteady as he walked into a Des Moines hotel on Saturday evening after a busy day of campaigning.
Dr. Stuart Fischer, an internist in New York, told DailyMail.com: ‘I’ve never seen that with him. Walking is one problem, but balance is another. He looked a bit like he was on a ship at sea.’
During his victory speech on Monday night, commentators pointed out that Trump was less animated than usual and that his voice was lower. Similar criticism was leveled at his 2022 presidential announcement.
His third election campaign was marred by a series of blunders, including errors, that appear to be occurring with increasing frequency Barack Obama as the current president and messing up the name of the city he was speaking in.
Dr. Keith Vossel, a neurologist at the University of California Los Angeles told DailyMail.com that the former president looked “quite exhausted” amid an aggressive campaign schedule and mounting legal troubles.
Trump appeared more tired than usual and had a slimmer face during his stay in Iowa this weekend
“It shows he’s getting older, I think that’s the nicest way to put it,” Dr. Fischer said.
Trump’s critics have seized on his growing list of blunders and used them to counter attacks on President Joe Biden’s age and vulnerability.
But Dr. Vossel said he doesn’t ‘see what’s going on neurologically when it comes to Trump.
Commentators, fellow politicians and even former White House deputy press secretary Sarah Matthews have said Trump’s demeanor has become visibly more tired in recent months.
Many have also claimed that Mr. Trump’s physique appears thinner and his face thinner lately.
Over there have been rumors that the former president lost weight with the help of successful weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy.
Dr. Fischer, who has been critical of Trump’s eating and sleeping habits in the past, added: “You can’t fool Mother Nature.
‘If you have not had a healthy life, or if you are unlucky enough to develop one of several chronic diseases. You get older faster, and then the curtain falls.’
But Dr. Fischer cautioned against overdoing Trump’s stance in Iowa, pointing to the biting cold weather.
Cold temperatures cause blood vessels to constrict, reducing oxygen-rich blood flow, leading to cramps and decreased movement and coordination.
Cold temperatures can lead to muscle stiffness and loss of sensation, which could explain its lumbering gait.
Dr. Fischer added: “The temperatures are really, really low. It’s not like New York City, where it’s about thirty. Moreover, there is a feeling of cold, and you immediately see him coming inside. Once you get inside, it can take up to five minutes to fully acclimatize.”
Donald Trump handily won the Iowa caucus on Monday in a landslide victory over Republican rivals Governor Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy
Trump could also just be showing his age. Decreases in motor function and coordination take a dip in between the ages of 75 and 80 years.
Despite the millions of dollars spent by Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis and the mad dashes through Iowa’s 99 counties, Trump won 98 of those counties. But he wasn’t as front-and-center as usual.
He took part in an impromptu town hall event this weekend, surrounded by supporters, where he sat with his shoulders hunched and moderated his tone.
And as he delivered a stack of pizzas for a local fire department in Iowa on Sunday, he appeared to drag one leg as he walked the same way he did the night before at the hotel.
His hotel entrance on Saturday was the latest example of Trump appearing confused and unstable.
He has repeatedly confused former President Barack Obama with current President Joe Biden, said the US would enter World War II if Biden remained in office despite there having already been a Second World War, and has named cities in which he campaigned carries, confused.
Trump’s less lively demeanor and leisurely pace this election cycle have not negatively affected his voting numbers against President Biden, who is too old for a second term according to 77 percent of Americans voters surveyed.
For millions of voters, Trump’s latest stumbles are nothing compared to President Biden’s significant share of verbal blunders and falls.
Doctors for both Biden and Trump have confirmed their fitness to hold office, despite doubts among voters.
Dr. Fischer said: “His age is not what it used to be, and this may make people think about the election, where we are dealing with not one, but two people who are not physically in their prime.
‘Whether they do that mentally or not, I leave it to others. But this is one of the hallmarks of the aging process.’
President Biden has generally been more candid than Mr. Trump about his health conditions, including the medications he takes that can make falls more dangerous.
The latest record of medications Trump is taking comes from a 2018 physical examination, which showed Trump taking Crestor for high cholesterol, aspirin to prevent heart attacks, antibiotics to treat skin rosacea, Propecia for baldness and Ambien to help him sleep.
Blood thinners prescribed to reduce the risk of blood clots can make falls potentially more deadly. If someone is taking blood thinners, there is a significantly increased risk of bruising and internal bleeding.
Ambien side effects are known to include fatigue, falls, and confusion. It remains unclear whether Trump is taking the same medications today as he was five years ago.