Speculation swirled Friday regarding President Donald Trump's health after a photograph of the president went viral, with one critical care physician declaring it showed signs of “facial droop.”
While all living former U.S. presidents attended the 25th anniversary of 9/11 ceremony in New York City, Trump instead marked the day at a different event in Washington, D.C., during which photojournalist Finn Gomez captured a photo of the president in which one side of his mouth appears to be drooping, a symptom that can sometimes be caused by strokes, brain tumors and other health conditions.
“That’s a facial droop,” declared Washington-based pulmonary and critical care physician Nick Mark in a social media post on X.
Prominent liberal commentator Jo Carducciwondered aloud whether White House pool reporters would ask Trump about his apparent face drooping, and U.S. Navy veteran and rights activist Christopher David issued the president a bleak timeline, apparently hinting at his impending passing.
“Two weeks. Maybe three,” David wrote in a social media post on X.
Others, like longtime Arizona attorney and legal commentator Thomas Ryan, noted what they considered to be the irony in Trump’s frequent attacks on former President Joe Biden regarding his health.
“And this from the guy who kept calling President Biden, ‘Sleepy Joe,’” Ryan wrote in a social media post on X. “What a fraudster Trump is.”
Trump saw nearly identical speculation regarding his health exactly a year ago when attending a 9/11 event in 2025, during which he was also photographed with his mouth drooping in a similar manner.
That’s a facial droop. https://t.co/7wfXkzFxE1
— Nick Mark MD (@nickmmark) September 11, 2026