In late August 2025, a TikTok user posted a video (archived) claiming that U.S. President Donald Trump had only six to eight months left to live. The user claimed Trump displayed worsening symptoms related to congestive heart failure and chronic kidney disease, including increased swelling in Trump’s ankles and bruising on his hand.
The claim is unfounded and not based on any hands-on diagnosis by any physician.
The video received more than 5.9 million views, as of this writing, and spread to other platforms, including Reddit (archived), X (archived) and Bluesky (archived). The TikTok user claimed:
The reason I know he has congestive heart failure is because of the swelling in his feet and ankles. The reason I know it’s getting worse is because he’s sitting behind a desk on camera now.
…
The only reason his health has been maintained at all is because he has the privilege of getting IV diuretics … that’s why his hands have been bruised and covered with makeup.
…
I think he’s going to be around for six to eight months, tops.
Many of the posts, including a YouTube video that received more than 1.3 million views as of this writing, explicitly claimed that a “doctor” said Trump would likely live no more than six to eight more months.
The TikTok user made it clear that he is not a medical doctor or physician. He is a physical therapist with a doctorate in his field. At no point in the video above did he claim to be a medical doctor but stated that he was a “home health physical therapist. In an earlier video from May 2025, he said:
I have a doctorate in the medical field. I’m a physical therapist. I completed my training, even paid off my student loans, if you can believe that one. I don’t have people refer to me as doctor though, because it could confuse patients into thinking I’m an M.D. Because I respect the position of physicians enough to not lie about that.
The user did not specify what he specifically received a doctorate degree in, but in a statement to Snopes, the user confirmed:
I’m a physical therapist with a doctorate in my field, 14 years experience in geriatric/home healthcare. I’ve seen hundreds of patients with CHF, CKD, and chronic venous insufficiency. The president displays many of the same symptoms as those patients. While a full cardiology/nephrology work up is the only way to 100% confirm these diagnoses, I stand by what I’ve inferred from how he presents on camera.
Speculation surrounding Trump’s swollen ankles and bruised hand was not new; the White House addressed the issue in a July 17, 2025 news conference in which Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed Trump had chronic venous insufficiency, “a benign and common condition, particularly in individuals over the age of 70.” She continued:
Importantly, there was no evidence of deep vein thrombosis or arterial disease. Laboratory testing included a complete blood count, comprehensive metabolic panel, coagulation profile, D-dimer, B-type natriuretic peptide, and cardiac biomarkers. All results were within normal limits.
An echocardiogram was also performed and confirmed normal cardiac structure and function. No signs of heart failure, renal impairment, or systemic illness were identified.
A memorandum from Physician to the President Sean Barbabella on July 17 repeated the same and concluded that Trump remained in “excellent health.”
The memorandum also addressed the bruising on Trump’s right hand the TikTok video pointed to as further evidence of congestive heart failure, claiming that the bruising “is consistent with minor soft tissue irritation from frequent handshaking and the use of aspirin, which is taken as part of a standard cardiovascular prevention regimen. This is a well-known and benign side effect of aspirin therapy.”
Snopes addressed rumors related to the bruising on Trump’s hand in March 2025, and according to this Getty image from Aug. 25, 2025, the bruising remained visible on his right hand.
(Getty Images)
In sum, the claim that Trump had six to eight months left to live wasn’t based on a clinical diagnosis or on the testimony of a physician familiar with the president’s medical status. As such, it is unfounded. The creator of the original video that sparked the rumor was not a medical doctor, as many posts claimed, but a self-identified physical therapist with a doctorate.
The White House addressed the rumors related to Trump’s swollen ankles and bruised hand and confirmed in July 2025 that he had chronic venous insufficiency, but did not confirm any rumor claiming Trump had congestive heart failure or chronic kidney disease. Any claim beyond this was speculation.
Sources:
‘”Donald Trump Has 6–8 Months to Live”: Viral Video Sparks Health Rumours about US President as He Has Congestive Heart Failure and CKD’. Indiatimes, 24 Aug. 2025, https://www.indiatimes.com/trending/donald-trump-has-68-months-to-live-viral-video-sparks-health-rumours-about-us-president-as-he-has-congestive-heart-failure-and-ckd-667701.html.
Ibrahim, Nur. ‘What We Know about the Apparent Bruise on Trump’s Hand’. Snopes, 15 Mar. 2025, https://www.snopes.com//fact-check/trump-hand-bruise/.
‘Memorandum From the Physician to the President’. The White House, 17 Jul. 2025, https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/2025/07/memorandum-from-the-physician-to-the-president/.
– YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arII_KYvxHU. Accessed 26 Aug. 2025.
– YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0C_znvD7E8. Accessed 26 Aug. 2025.
Updates:
Aug. 28, 2025: This story was updated to clarify that while the TikTok user who originated the claim is not a medical doctor or physician, he is a self-identified physical therapist with a doctorate degree in his field.
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