President Donald Trump reignited worries about his health on Monday, March 2, 2026, after photographers captured a red, scabbed patch on the right side of his neck during a Medal of Honor ceremony at the White House.
The 79-year-old president’s unexplained skin issue, first seen during his Feb. 24 State of the Union address, has revived debate about his condition. The irritation stretched from beneath his jaw down the side of his neck, with noticeable scabbing below his ear. Images from a Feb. 19 Board of Peace meeting also showed the beginning stages of the redness.
Trump’s doctor, Dr. Sean Barbabella, offered a cautious statement that left many uncertainties. “President Trump is using a very common cream on the right side of his neck, which is a preventative skin treatment, prescribed by the White House Doctor,” Barbabella told The Daily Beast.
The White House did not explain what the cream is meant to prevent, prompting medical specialists to question the claim. Many asked why the president would show such pronounced symptoms if the treatment were simply preventative. In Trump’s April 2025 health report, Barbabella noted he used mometasone cream “as needed” for an unspecified skin condition.
The ambiguous statement quickly fueled speculation online. California Governor Gavin Newsom’s team posted a picture of Trump’s neck accompanied by several eye emojis. Some commenters speculated the irritation might be linked to Fluorouracil, an anti–skin cancer medication often referred to as 5-FU.
Photographers also observed the redness during Trump’s Feb. 27 visit to Corpus Christi, where he appeared with actor Dennis Quaid. By the following Monday’s event at the White House, the rash looked more severe, with visibly flaking and scabbed skin.
Dr. Vin Gupta, a pulmonologist and medical commentator for NBC News and MSNBC, criticized the White House’s explanation on social platforms, calling the assertion that the cream is “preventative” “nonsensical.”
Typical sources of such rashes include contact dermatitis from shaving supplies or fragrances, razor irritation, allergies, heat rash, or friction from clothing. Viral conditions like shingles can also cause localized rashes, though no official diagnosis has been released.
The strange neck irritation adds to an ongoing list of health concerns related to Trump. In February 2025, photographers documented dark bruises on his hand, partly hidden by makeup. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt attributed the marks to frequent handshaking, claiming Trump “meets more Americans and shakes their hands on a daily basis than any other president in history.”
In July 2025, photos showed swelling around Trump’s ankles and lower legs as he sat between First Lady Melania Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino at the FIFA Club World Cup final in New Jersey. The White House later confirmed Trump had chronic venous insufficiency, a circulation problem common in older adults that leads to swelling.
The administration has also been criticized for limited transparency about Trump’s health. In October 2025, the White House did not reveal that Trump had a CT scan at Walter Reed until Trump mentioned it himself while speaking with reporters aboard Air Force One. The White House’s initial memo mentioned only “advanced imaging,” and officials later clarified that the scan focused on his abdomen and heart.
Questions about Trump’s cognitive sharpness have also grown. He has occasionally appeared to drift off at public events and often mixes up names and dates. During Monday’s Medal of Honor ceremony, Trump referenced the war in Iran before abruptly switching to comments about gold curtains and expansion projects at the White House.
Trump told The Wall Street Journal in a Jan. 1, 2026 interview that he takes aspirin daily as a blood thinner, using a 325-milligram dose — four times the usual 81-milligram recommendation. Officials have cited his aspirin regimen as contributing to his frequent bruising.
The president was 78 years and 7 months old when inaugurated in January 2025, making him the oldest individual ever sworn in as U.S. president. Though Trump has maintained he is in “great shape,” the growing number of health-related questions has drawn parallels to prior scrutiny of Joe Biden.
As photos of the irritated skin spread across social media, the White House’s continued refusal to release more comprehensive medical information has only intensified speculation about what the public may not know regarding the president’s health.