Each time someone close to Donald Trump echoes his narrative, the room seems to tighten — caught between obvious flattery and a creeping sense of discomfort. Just like Republican Rep. Ronny Jackson, who served as Donald Trump’s physician during his first term, made completely outrageous claim s about the president’s appearance and health that many now say are impossible to believe. (Photo by Annabelle GORDON / AFP via Getty Images) ‘Need to Add About 100 lbs to That’: Donald Trump’s New White House Portrait Was Supposed to Be an Honor, but It Backfired When Fans Zoomed In Jackson, 58, was among the guests at the White House on March 20 to watch Trump, 79, present the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy to the U.S. Naval Academy football team. The ceremony was a celebration of the Navy’s victory over the Army in December 2025. Before signing a new, likely unenforceable, executive order calling for the annual Army-Navy clash to be the only televised college football game during a four-hour window, Trump shouted out Jackson, who was in the audience. “Stand up, Dr. Ronnie,” the president insisted while delivering his speech onstage in front of the Navy Midshipmen before claiming Jackson had declared that Trump was healthier than former presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama.  View on Threads A clip of the fawning exchange between Trump and Jackson elicited some eye-rolling reactions on social media, with commenters questioning why a doctor, veteran, and congressperson would blatantly feed into the ego of the ex-star of “The Apprentice” with an obvious, kowtowing compliment. “Why lie just for the sake of lying? We have eyes!” exclaimed a Threads user under a video of Trump clearly fishing for praise from Jackson in front of a room filled with military service members. Another asked, “Who actually believes that ? And why do so many appease him and his nonsense ?” A third sarcastically noted, “Healthy and visibly rotting. Got it,” while many pointed out his nicknames as well as his ongoing health issues, including the bruising and discoloration on his hands, his swollen ankles and droopy eyes. But to many Jackson came off more like one of Trump’s paid flunkies, than someone with valuable incite to his health. “He should have his medical license revoked for lying to not only the country but a gullible old fool who likely believes him,” said one person, while another added, “That guy looks like an actor he hired to say he’s doing great.” A new photo from Trump's most recent public event reveals a large rash on his neck.This rash is an addition to the continued large bruises on his hands. pic.twitter.com/Jj44QMRC2h— Headquarters (@HQNewsNow) March 2, 2026 Pointing to the crowd of athletes behind Trump, another said, “Look at all those clapping seals behind him.” The allegation from Trump’s doctor has many wanting to see him in action following claims he weighed the same as 6’4 NFL players. A few suggested, he “play a football game against the Navy football team” or “go five rounds with Anthony Joshua.” But the only sport that gets Trump outside and on the green for is golf. Jackson joined the White House Medical Unit in 2006 as part of the Bush administration and later served as physician to the president under Barack Obama from 2013 to 2017. Trump was inaugurated for the first time in January 2017, and Jackson remained in his role in the new administration until April 2018. Most of Trump’s lies are abhorrent but I’d forgotten how funny the “annual physical” ones were. Yeah man, 6’3”, 224lbs. About the same stats as DK Metcalf here. Got it. pic.twitter.com/SrubafDu0c— Clue Heywood (@ClueHeywood) April 13, 2025 The skepticism of his instant assessment of Trump’s health stems from the fact that many observers believe the president does not seem to be in the same physical and mental state that he was eight years ago. “In addition to the president being diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency in 2025, the commander-in-chief has been photographed with bruises on his hands and a rash on his neck. The White House as well as Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt often downplayed both skin blemishes as minor inconveniences and falsely claimed he was in good shape. Add in Trump constantly falling asleep in meetings, noticeably struggling to walk down stairs with an aide or Melania at his side, and repeatedly slurring his words, and the public’s concern remains a hot-button issue.  But according to the current physician to the president, Dr. Sean Barbabella, an October 2025 medical exam demonstrated Trump had “excellent overall health,” which was met with widespread disbelief. Barbabella, 55, also reported that “The Art of the Deal” author weighed 224 pounds and stood 6 foot 3 with a blood pressure of 128 over 74, again setting off alarms among those who were not buying that medical analysis of the fast food-loving real estate magnate. Trump did not help his case for supposedly having exceptional fitness and vitality when each visual or footage makes the White House’s claims further and further away from the truth because the eyes don’t lie. ‘Why Lie’: Trump Panics Over Mounting Health Questions After Noticeable Bruising Then Forces His Doctor to Play Along and It Backfires Spectacularly ...read more read less