Donald Trump's Boldest Health Claims In 2026 (So Far)

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

President Donald Trump isn't exactly known for being the epitome of health. From his daily diet and snacking habits on Air Force One, his thoughts on exercise, and even his admission about his daily use of aspirin, the president is practically a living, breathing case study in what not to do when it comes to health, wellness, and longevity.

Ironically, however, none of that keeps Trump from making some rather bold health claims to the American people — and anyone else who will listen, for that matter. During his time as president (both times!), the president has come up with some real doozies. Alas, he appears to be on a serious roll in 2026. From asserting that five hours of sleep is "plenty," making wild claims about his daily large-and-in-charge dose of aspirin, claiming he's the healthiest president to ever be president, and even falsely making a connection between dyslexia and IQ levels, he's stuck his foot in his mouth time and time again. 

In January 2026, President Donald Trump asserted during a candid interview with New York Magazine that the five hours of sleep he averaged each night was "plenty." He added, "I find that when I'm really enjoying myself, I sleep less." It appears, however, that Dr. Angela Holliday-Bell, a board-certified physician and Certified Sleep Specialist at The Solution Is Sleep LLC, would beg to differ. "The optimal sleep amount is a range between seven to nine hours for the average adult of any age, however, some will need a little less and many will need a little more," she exclusively told Health Digest in August 2024 about how much sleep people aged 50 or older need for healthy aging.

At the top of 2026, when pressed about the incessant bruising on his hands, President Donald Trump chalked it all up to his hefty 325 milligram daily dose of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, which just so happens to be more than four times the daily amount recommended for those using it for preventative measures, per the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. According to Trump, even when advised by his own doctors to cut down on the dose, he declined, citing his tendency to be superstitious. "They say aspirin is good for thinning out the blood, and I don't want thick blood pouring through my heart," he told The Wall Street Journal. Never mind any unwanted side effects like liver damage, stomach ulcers, and internal bleeding. 

Speaking of that Wall Street Journal interview, President Donald Trump also seized the moment to set the record straight about some imaging he had done. After telling reporters for weeks that he had an MRI, he clarified in the interview that it was actually a CT scan. "It wasn't an MRI. It was less than that. It was a scan," he admitted. Oopsie daisy. Later, his physician, Dr. Sean Barbabella, backed up Trump's correction, while also noting to CNN that the result of said CT scan "was perfectly normal and revealed absolutely no abnormalities."

On March 17, during a speech at the Shamrock Bowl Presentation, President Donald Trump took a moment to acknowledge former White House physician turned Texas Congressman Ronny Jackson. "I'll never forget they said, 'Who's the healthiest president?' because he covered Obama, he covered he covered some others," Trump recalled (via YouTube) while introducing Jackson to the room. "I don't want to say who, but and Trump. He said by far Trump. There's nobody even close. He said by far. Took a little heat for that, but that was okay," he added. Sure, Jan.

In March, President Donald Trump's jab at California Governor Gavin Newsom over his dyslexia diagnosis backfired terribly when everyone realized his claim was completely false. While speaking with reporters in the Oval Office, he called Newsom "a low-IQ person," citing the governor's learning disability, which he spoke about candidly in his new book, "Young Man in a Hurry." It appears, however, that Newsom had the last laugh when the  National Center for Learning Disabilities weighed in on the discourse, referring to Trump's claims as "both factually and morally incorrect" (via The New York Times).