President Donald Trump's swelling in his legs could signal a "much bigger concern" than a benign issue, a former White House doctor said.
During an appearance on CNN on Wednesday, Jonathan Reiner, best known as Dick Cheney's former cardiologist, discussed swelling in Trump's legs, dark marks on his hands, and his falling asleep in meetings. Trump's physician has said it's caused by chronic venous insufficiency.
"I hope he has that because that's really a benign issue that you see in older people," Reiner said. "But if indeed he didn't have any swelling three months before and now he has this, what appears to be sort of massive swelling of his legs, that's a much bigger concern."
According to Reiner, if the swelling suddenly appeared over the last three months, it could be associated with "cardiac issues" or "kidney issues."
Three months ago, photographs surfaced of "really obvious swelling," but Reiner noted that the White House hasn't said whether that's when the swelling started. "Really, none of these issues have been adequately addressed," Reiner said. However, what the public has seen so far is alarming enough for Reiner.
"His bruising, his left hand isn't bruising from vigorous hand shaking," Reiner said. "His daytime somnolence that was completely omitted from the president's last physical exam."
Trump's last physical exam was in late May at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. The White House described it as a "routine annual dental and medical assessment" and released results that said he was in "excellent health." However, reports noted that he was examined by 22 medical specialists, which is the highest number publicly disclosed for a presidential checkup in modern records.
"Anyone who watches the president can see this," Reiner said about Trump's health problems. "It's distinctly not normal, but it's become normalized. 'Oh, the president is just asleep.' It's not normal, and it really needs to be addressed."