Camilla Jessen
Speculation over President Donald Trump’s health has resurfaced after a medical expert alleged the U.S. leader suffered a serious health episode in secret.
Professor Bruce Davidson of Washington State University has claimed that President Trump suffered a stroke last year and took steps to conceal it from the public. The allegation was reported by The Daily Beast following Davidson’s appearance on The Court of History podcast.
“I think his stroke was on the left side of the brain, which controls the right side of the body,” Davidson said during the podcast interview with biographer Sidney Blumenthal and historian Sean Wilentz.
He added: “I think the stroke was six months ago or more, earlier in 2025.”
Signs cited
Davidson pointed to what he described as noticeable physical changes. “There are videos of him shuffling his feet, which is not what we’d seen previously when he was striding on the golf course,” he said.
He also noted that Trump had been seen holding his right hand with his left and referenced episodes of garbled speech earlier in 2025. According to Davidson, those speech issues appeared to improve over time.
Another factor raised was hypersomnolence, which Davidson described as “marked episodes of excessive daytime sleepiness,” a condition he said can affect stroke patients.
Public appearances scrutinized
Davidson also cited footage of Trump descending the steps of Air Force One while holding the handrail with his left hand, despite being right-handed. He said this was “consistent with having had a stroke on the left side of the brain.”
Online speculation about Trump’s health has circulated before, including claims of facial drooping during a 9/11 commemoration and visible bruising on his hands, which the White House has previously attributed to frequent handshaking.
Political behavior questioned
The professor further suggested that Trump’s aggressive and unpredictable governing style could align with behavioral changes sometimes seen after strokes.
“It’s a very serious, concerning, life-threatening, upsetting, scary event,” Davidson said. “People react in different ways.”
White house response
The White House strongly rejected the claims. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told The Daily Beast: “As the President’s physician, Dr. Sean Barbabella, has made clear time and again… President Trump remains in excellent overall health.”
She dismissed the allegations as politically motivated, saying they reflect declining trust in the media.
No official medical diagnosis confirming a stroke has ever been released.
Sources: Daily Beast, The Court of History podcast
