Walter Reed

WASHINGTON — President Trump is undergoing what he has described as a “semiannual physical” at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Friday.

The visit, which the White House announced earlier this week, comes as Trump is preparing to travel to the Middle East on the heels of a ceasefire deal in the Israel-Hamas war. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt described it as a “routine yearly checkup,” although Trump had his annual physical in April.

The White House declined to explain why Trump was getting a yearly checkup six months after his annual exam. But in an exchange with reporters Thursday, he said it was a “semiannual physical.”

“I’m meeting with the troops, and I’m also going to do a, sort of, semiannual physical, which I do,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “I think I’m in great shape, but I’ll let you know.”

The president is scheduled to return to the White House after his visit to Walter Reed, which is located in Bethesda, Maryland.

Trump’s April physical found that he was “fully fit” to serve as commander in chief. The three-page summary of the exam done by his doctor, Navy Capt. Sean Barbabella, said he had lost 20 pounds (9 kilograms) since a medical exam in June 2020 and said he has an “active lifestyle” that “continues to contribute significantly” to the well-being of the president, who’s 79.

In July, the White House announced that Trump recently had had a medical checkup after noticing “mild swelling” in his lower legs and was found to have a condition common in older adults that causes blood to pool in his veins. Tests by the White House medical unit showed that Trump has chronic venous insufficiency, which occurs when little valves inside the veins that normally help move blood against gravity gradually lose the ability to work properly.

At the April physical, Trump also passed a short screening test to assess different brain functions.

Kim writes for the Associated Press.

Oct. 9 (UPI) — The White House announced Wednesday that President Donald Trump will travel to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland for his routine yearly checkup — his second health screening in six months.

Trump is scheduled to visit Walter Reed on Friday morning for a planned meeting and remarks with troops, followed by what the White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt called in an emailed statement to UPI “his routine yearly checkup.” He will then return to the White House, she said.

The 79-year-old commander in chief last underwent an annual physical physical examination at Walter Reed in April.

After the examination, White House physician reported Trump “exhibits excellent cognitive and physical health and is fully fit to execute the duties of the commander in chief and head of state.”

In July, Trump was diagnosed by the White House physician with chronic venous insufficiency, which was causing swelling in his legs.

Concern over Trump’s health has been repeatedly raised, with the president over attempts to cover apparent bruises with what appears to be makeup.

Leavitt attempted to assuage worries over Trump’s physical well-being, stating the bruises were the product of “frequent handshaking and the use of aspirin.”

Sept. 12 (UPI) — Former Rep. Yadira Caraveo of Colorado has halted her attempt to retake her former congressional seat that she lost to Republican Rep. Gabe Evans on Nov. 5.

Caraveo is a pediatrician who represented Colorado’s 8th Congressional District for one term but lost to Evans, who received 163,320 votes to Caraveo’s 160,871, according to Ballotpedia.

Despite the close election result, Caraveo on Friday said she was ending her candidacy for the seat that has several other challengers for the Democratic Party’s nomination, The Denver Post reported.

“This was not a decision I made lightly,” Caraveo said in a prepared statement.

“Unfortunately, I faced very strong resistance to my candidacy this cycle due almost entirely to the stigmatization of mental health in America,” she continued.

“I hope that one day we will see more acceptance and understanding of illnesses, like depression, and that leaders at all levels will be able to support those in need in actions and not just words.”

Caraveo last year said she had sought treatment for depression at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., according to The Hill.

Democratic Party leaders were concerned about her mental health, but they also were wary of allegations that she mistreated her campaign and congressional staff, The Colorado Sun reported.

The news outlet in May reported her staff and aides had created a safety plan that included removing sharp objects from her offices amid claims of Caraveo having suicidal thoughts.

Caraveo was the first Hispanic woman to be elected to represent Colorado in Congress and struggled to raise funds for her election bid and had not announced any “major endorsements,” according the The Colorado Sun.

Colorado’s 8th Congressional District is a swing district that encompasses the northern suburbs of Denver and into Greeley.

The seat is among the most-targeted U.S. House districts by the Republican and Democratic parties.