Major Trump health update as White House's Karoline Leavitt announces hospital visit

The White House has issued an update related to Donald Trump's health. On Wednesday, the White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the US President is set to visit a hospital for a health check.

Ms Leavitt said that on Friday, October 10, Mr Trump would "stop by" and have his "routine yearly health check" during a visit to Walter Reed Medical Centre in Bethesda, Maryland.

This follows months of speculation about the President's health who, at 79, is the second-oldest holder of America's highest office, after his predecessor Joe Biden.

Concern grew over the summer when Trump appeared with a dark patch of discolouration on the back of his hand, something he blamed on shaking too many hands. While this was hastily covered with makeup, the discolouration has been noticed again in recent days.

In an attempt to explain the issue, the President's chief physician, Sean Barbabella, has previously published a letter stating that the bruising "is consistent with minor soft tissue irritation from frequent handshaking and the use of aspirin, which is taken as part of a standard cardiovascular prevention regimen."

But with observers also noticing a tendency for one side of Donald Trump's face to droop during long engagements, whenever POTUS disappears from public view for more than a few days, the rumour mill in Washington has been churning out speculation about Trump undergoing serious health treatments.

This began again this week, when President Trump decided to send text messages into a CNN show, rather than do his usual phone-in appearance. Host Jake Tapper read out responses about his "hopes for peace" in Gaza, but the American public quickly began speculating about the President's text-only appearance and lack of public engagements.

The only health issue that the public has been made aware of since Trump began his second term has been his treatment for chronic venous insufficiency in July, a condition where blood struggles to flow back to the heart from the body's extremities.

However, Press Secretary Leavitt has previously failed to provide an answer when questioned about the treatment the President was receiving for this condition, or any other health issue.

Leavitt said: "I don't want to make that commitment on behalf of the physician, but it's certainly something we can look into and explore out of the effort of transparency, because unlike the previous White House, there is nothing to hide."

Today, Ms Leavitt said: "On Friday morning, President Trump will visit Walter Reed Medical Center for a planned meeting and remarks with the troops. While there, President Trump will stop by for his routine yearly check up. He will then return to the White House. President Trump is considering going to the Middle East shortly thereafter."