Trump's recent visit to West Point has people asking questions about his health
- People are asking questions about President Trump's health after seeing video footage of his recent visit to West Point was released.
- Trump, who turned 74 on Sunday, appeared to have trouble lifting a cup of water in one video, and in another, he seemed to walk down a ramp cautiously.
- The president spoke out against allegations he was walking strangely on Twitter, claiming the ramp was slippery and that he ran down the last of the ramp.
- However, it was a sunny, dry day when Trump gave his speech, and there is no video footage to support the claim that he ran down the ramp.
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President Trump's health is under question after videos of his visit to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point popped up on social media over the weekend.
The president went to West Point to give a speech to its graduates on Saturday, but two video clips from his appearance are suspicious to viewers.
In a clip from his speech, Trump can be seen taking a sip from a glass of water. But rather than raising the glass with one hand, he used his left hand to push up his right hand, which was holding the glass.
Twitter users noticed the moment, wondering if the president's right arm was not strong enough to push his hand up.
Later, social media users were questioning a video of Trump walking off the stage after the speech. A ramp led off the stage, and he seemed to be walking down it with caution in video footage of the exit.
Trump descended a ramp extremely carefully at the end of his West Point speech today pic.twitter.com/uMG3KyB1V1
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) June 13, 2020
Twitter users quickly began questioning his slow pace, wondering if he might be experiencing underlying health problems.
On Sunday, Trump tweeted addressing concerns expressed about his health as a result of the video.
He claimed the ramp was steep and slippery, which is why he walked gingerly.
The ramp that I descended after my West Point Commencement speech was very long & steep, had no handrail and, most importantly, was very slippery. The last thing I was going to do is “fall” for the Fake News to have fun with. Final ten feet I ran down to level ground. Momentum!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 14, 2020
"The ramp that I descended after my West Point Commencement speech was very long & steep, had no handrail and, most importantly, was very slippery," Trump wrote in his tweet. "The last thing I was going to do is 'fall' for the Fake News to have fun with. Final ten feet I ran down to level ground. Momentum!"
However, as both The Washington Post and The New York Times noted, the weather was sunny and the nearby grass was dry when Trump gave his speech, so it's unlikely the ramp would have been slippery.
In addition, there's no video footage to support Trump's claim that he was running down the steps.
The White House physican said the president "remains healthy" at the beginning of the month, releasing the results of his physical. The physician also confirmed that Trump took hydroxychloroquine, the anti-malarial drug, to prevent him from getting COVID-19. There is no evidence the drug is a safe or effective treatment for the coronavirus.
Trump celebrated his 74th birthday on Sunday, making him the oldest first-term president in US history.
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