‘Those Cankles’: Trump Struggles to Move His Legs and Gets Stranded on Flight of Stairs —Then Aides Panic and Rush to Block the Evidence from Cameras
President Donald Trump‘s diagnosis for chronic venous insufficiency was made public by the White House last year.
His administration has failed to quiet the noise around brutal visuals of the 80-year-old president struggling in many ways.
The condition causes blood to pool in the lower legs and ankles, hence the shocking sight of his sometimes swollen appearance.
Yet new photos might send the White House back into defense mode.
Trump landed in Geneva, Switzerland, on June 15 to attend the G7 Summit after an 11- 14-hour travel time.
And he looked every bit jet-lagged times ten.
But for some viewers, fatigue wasn’t the biggest concern. It was other alarming details that reignited questions about his health.
The G7 Summit is being held in Évian-les-Bains, France, from June 15 to 17.
After the presidential aircraft landed in nearby Switzerland, Trump’s rough exit was a familiar sight.
The twice-impeached president has had several viral videos of him walking more slowly than molasses down various flights of steps.
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The former reality star is often roasted for comparing himself to former President Joe Biden.
Last April, Trump told CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” “He couldn’t walk a flight of stairs, forget about down, he couldn’t walk up a flight.”
“I have to be careful because if I do trip or fall,” he added. “It’s gonna be the biggest story.”
Trump exited Air Force One on Monday with a tight grip on the railing.
The president carefully made his way down the stairs on his tiptoes while appearing to steady himself.
Eagle-eyed viewers who zoomed in on footage of Trump’s tender descent noticed his ankles seemed unusually large.
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Multiple people on social media remarked on Trump’s lower extremities during his never-ending journey, and one wrote, “Look at the size of his ankles.”
Several more folks noted Trump’s chunky ankles, including one who remarked, “Those ankles are looking mighty thick,” while one joked, “Clomp…clomp…clomp.”
Another user reminded everyone of the nickname for the president’s ankles and wrote, “And look at those cankles!”
One user wondered if Trump had recently gained weight asking, “Is it me, or has he put on like 125 lbs since I saw him standing last.”
“He looks like he’s gained 30lbs in the last month. Could be medication-related in addition to his McDonald’s fetish,” joked another.
Trump rarely takes a meeting, briefing, or interview, for that matter, without sitting in a nearby chair.
As criticism mounted, some social media users brought Mr. Swag Barack Obama into the conversation.
Trump has long compared himself to his predecessor and frequently takes aim at Obama’s legacy. Some say it’s envy and insecurity, while others call it his version of playful banter.
That prompted one person to contrast Trump’s careful descent from Air Force One with Obama’s more athletic image while in office.
One user compared Trump’s descent down the steps of Air Force One to Obama’s when he was the POTUS.
“Obama flew down those stairs. Like Gene Kelly,” wrote one person referring to the later Broadway actor.
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Ironically, Trump himself has previously acknowledged that navigating stairs has become more challenging with age.
While criticizing Biden’s ability to walk down steps, he pivoted to his own experiences.
Last April, he made a bold admission about having to be careful when descending stairways at his age.
“That’s why when I get out of those planes, I walk nice and slowly,” Trump added. “I’m not looking to set any speed records.
The wayward president’s latest unhurried exit proved that the proof is in the pudding.
For critics who have questioned his mobility in recent months, the moment served as further evidence that Trump is not as healthy as he claims.