Donald Trump has said he takes more aspirin than his doctors recommend but insists his “health is perfect”, according to an interview with the Wall Street Journal.
The 79-year-old president said the daily dose causes him to bruise easily and that doctors have advised him to reduce it. He said he has ignored that advice because he has taken aspirin for 25 years.
“I’m a little superstitious,” Trump told the paper.
He said aspirin helped thin his blood and dismissed medical concerns. “I want nice, thin blood pouring through my heart,” he said. “Does that make sense?”
Like his predecessor, Joe Biden, Trump has faced growing scrutiny over his health. Questions have intensified in recent months after he appeared drowsy at public events and was photographed with what appeared to be make-up on his hand.
In the interview, Trump described his daily routine, saying he works from an office in the White House residence early in the morning before moving to the Oval Office around 10am. He said he typically works until 7pm or 8pm.
He said he had asked staff to restructure his schedule to include fewer meetings so he could focus on what he described as the most important matters.
Trump said aides had also encouraged him to slow his pace, including spending about two weeks at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida over Christmas and New Year. He added that staff had urged him to try to keep his eyes open during public appearances.
Health has become a sensitive political issue following concerns over Biden’s frailty while in office, which fuelled accusations of a cover-up by senior White House aides. Those claims have been denied.
The Journal reported that Trump appeared frustrated that his team had not done more to promote his fitness. “Let’s talk about health again for the 25th time,” he said. “My health is perfect.”
He said he regretted undergoing advanced cardiovascular and abdominal imaging during a routine check-up in October, arguing that it attracted unnecessary attention. The White House initially said the test was a CT scan rather than an MRI.
“In retrospect, it’s too bad I took it,” Trump said. “It gave them a little ammunition.”
Trump’s doctor, US navy captain Sean Barbabella, told the paper that the president was in “exceptional health” and fully capable of carrying out his duties. The White House also released an AI-generated analysis of Trump’s electrocardiogram, which estimated his cardiac age at 65.
Trump acknowledged that he had briefly tried wearing compression socks to reduce swelling in his legs but said he stopped using them. He said walking more had helped improve the issue.
He also dismissed the idea of regular exercise, apart from playing golf. “I just don’t like it. It’s boring,” he said, referring to gym workouts and treadmills.
Trump said he had plenty of energy, which he attributed to genetics inherited from his parents. “Genetics are very important,” he said. “And I have very good genetics.”
