Trump's 'whisker shy of obese' status challenged by old government records

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to members of the media as he arrives at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, U.S., May 20, 2026.

President Donald Trump's reported weight has been called into question after a comparison of his latest White House physical that puts him just shy of the obesity club.

In an article for The New Republic, journalist Timothy Noah took another look at the president's official height record, arguing that a seemingly minor discrepancy could place Trump firmly in the obesity category.

A May 29 memorandum from White House physician Navy Capt. Sean Barbabella reported that Trump weighed 238 pounds and is 6 feet, 3 inches tall.

At those measurements, Trump's body mass index is approximately 29.7, putting him, as Noah wrote, a "whisker shy" of obesity. Standard adult screening guidelines classify a BMI of 30 or higher as obese, meaning the president just missed the mark of what seems like a technicality.

However, Noah said the older government records contradict the official height.

Through a public records request in 2016, Politico uncovered Trump's New York driver's license, issued in 2012, which listed him at 6 feet, 2 inches. His 1964 Selective Service registration card also listed him at 6 feet, 2 inches, The Washington Post reported in 2015.

With that evidence, Noah declared, "Trump isn't six foot three; he's six foot two."

Using the president's latest reported weight with that one-inch shorter status, it produces a BMI of approximately 30.6, placing Trump inside the obesity club.

Noah also noted that people generally lose height as they age, which means the 80-year-old president could actually be shorter today. Many photos of Trump next to people listed as 6ft 3, such as Prince William, or the 6ft 2 JD Vance, suggest he has shrunken in height with age.

Trump’s recorded weight has also shifted significantly over time.

His April 2025 physical listed him at 224 pounds, meaning the May 2026 report showed a 14-pound increase in weight. During his first administration, Trump's reported weight reached 243 pounds in 2019, which would have put him in the obese category even with the listed 6-foot-3 height.

Noah also compared Trump's recalculated BMI with those of previous presidents.

At 30.6, Trump would have a higher BMI than Theodore Roosevelt and Zachary Taylor, although he doesn’t get the most obese president reward, as he is below William Howard Taft, Grover Cleveland, and William McKinley.

While the White House medical memorandum described Trump's overall health as excellent, his doctors have urged him to lose weight and increase physical activity.

BMI is a screening tool rather than a complete assessment of an individual's health, as many athletic individuals can have a high BMI because it doesn’t account for muscle mass.

But President Trump doesn’t go to the gym and said his workout routine is: “I walk, I this, I that”

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