President Donald Trump’s personal physician is required to stay no more than three minutes away at any time, a rule reported by The Wall Street Journal as the president’s health assessments draw public attention.
Navy Captain Dr. Sean Barbabella, 56, assesses Trump’s health and prepares public reports about his condition. The Independent reported that Barbabella served in Afghanistan before joining the White House medical team. The Journal also cited a person familiar with the physician’s routine who said aides usually left the room during Trump’s consultations. That person described Barbabella’s manner as “low-key and direct.”
In a May 2026 report, Barbabella described Trump’s health as excellent and his cardiac, lung and neurological functions as strong. The report said Trump was fit to carry out his duties as commander in chief and head of state. An AI-supported reading of his electrocardiogram (ECG) put the estimated cardiac age roughly 14 years below his chronological age. Barbabella advised lower aspirin intake, weight loss, more exercise and dietary changes.
The Independent reported that Trump told an Ohio rally last week that doctors objected to his high daily aspirin dose and said he did not need that amount. He said he still takes one aspirin a day. “I’ve been doing okay for 35 years. Leave me alone,” Trump told the crowd.
Former Trump physician Dr. Harold Bornstein’s 2015 statement described Trump’s stamina as extraordinary and said he would be the healthiest person ever elected president. Bornstein told CNN in 2018 that Trump dictated the letter and that he improvised its contents.
