WASHINGTON: As US President Donald Trump turns 74 on Sunday, an incident a day earlier in which he appeared unsteady on his feet has revived questions about his health as he heads into a grueling re-election campaign.
Scrutiny of a president’s health is always intense, and Trump has generally appeared vigorous for his age. Results of a routine physical released early this month showed he was overweight — 244 pounds (110 kilograms) — but with otherwise normal test results.
But his appearance on Saturday at the US military academy in West Point, New York raised new questions about apparent signs of unsteadiness, balance problems and trouble enunciating certain words.
Since Trump has regularly mocked the health and acuity of his presumptive election opponent, Democrat Joe Biden — who is three years his senior — the question of physical fitness could weigh heavily in the campaign ahead.
After a widely circulated video on Saturday showed Trump walking tentatively and unsteadily down a long ramp after delivering a commencement speech at West Point, he took to Twitter to issue an explanation.
