"Doesn't look good": Mysterious bulge on Donald Trump's suit sparks online storm
A suspicious square bulge under the US President's suit has sparked an online storm. Alongside theories about unapproved medical equipment, a senior cardiologist warns that the 80-year-old "does not look good" and demands immediate disclosure of data.
A new video of 80-year-old US President Donald Trump has sparked a wave of speculation in recent days regarding his health, after a large, square-shaped bulge was seen under the back of his suit. At this stage, there is no confirmation that it is a medical device, and the White House has not provided a public explanation for the bulge seen in the footage.
The footage was filmed on Friday, August 14, while Donald Trump was speaking at the Nassau County Police training center in Garden City, Long Island, New York. During the event, the president stepped off the stage to comfort the parents of 12-year-old Jacob Freitas, who was killed by a stray bullet in the Bronx borough of New York. Fox News reported that the president approached the family members and hugged them.
However, the footage, which was posted on X, attracted attention for a completely different reason. When Donald Trump was seen from behind on his way to the audience, the outlines of a square object could be seen under the suit. The bulge appears relatively rigid and maintains its shape while the president walks.
"What does he have there?"
American journalist and commentator Aaron Rupar was among those who drew attention to this online. "Seriously, what is going on with the back of Trump here? It looks like he has some kind of device there," he wrote. Former tennis player Martina Navratilova joined the discussion and raised her own hypothesis regarding what was seen under his clothes.
Various speculations were raised online: from a medical device to an adult incontinence product. However, these are speculations based solely on the appearance of the video, and no medical evidence has been published that allows for a determination of what the object seen under the president's suit is.
In Taiwan, the video also attracted attention. Former politician and commentator Kuo Cheng-liang raised the possibility during a television program that it was some kind of medical equipment, such as a pump or a battery. He even referred to speculations about a stoma, an artificial opening in the abdominal wall used in certain medical situations, but did not present any medical information confirming this.
Kuo also referred to bruises that were previously seen on Donald Trump's hands and raised the possibility that they were related to circulatory problems. In this case, too, it is his interpretation and not a medical diagnosis of the president.
"The president does not look good"
Speculations around the video come alongside criticism from Dr. Jonathan Reiner, a professor of medicine and surgery at George Washington University and someone who was for years the cardiologist for former Vice President Dick Cheney.
In an opinion piece he recently published in The New York Times, Reiner wrote that Donald Trump "does not look good" at certain times during his second term. He emphasized that he is not Donald Trump's doctor and that his assessment is based only on medical information released to the public and the president's public appearances.
Reiner pointed, among other things, to bruises on the president's hands, swelling in his legs, and instances where he appeared to close his eyes during public events. He also requested more information about medical tests Donald Trump has undergone and the reasons for advanced imaging tests that have been reported. According to him, the American public is entitled to more transparency regarding the president's health.
However, some of the signs that sparked speculation have already received an official explanation. In July 2025, the White House announced that Donald Trump had been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, a condition in which blood flow in the leg veins is not efficient enough and can cause swelling. According to Reuters, tests conducted at the time found no evidence of a blood clot in the deep veins, arterial disease, heart failure, or kidney damage.
The White House also explained at the time that the bruises seen on Donald Trump's hand were consistent with mild tissue irritation resulting from frequent handshakes and the use of aspirin. The president's physician, Dr. Sean Conley, stated that Donald Trump is in "excellent health."
