Trump 'losing control' as aides peddle 'completely outrageous' defense of his health

U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 3, 2026. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein

During Joe Biden's four years in the White House, Donald Trump and his allies repeatedly questioned his mental fitness and attacked him as "Sleepy Joe." But now, more than a year into his second presidency, it is Trump's fitness — both mental and physical — that is being questioned.

In a February appearance on the "Today, Explained" podcast, New York Magazine's Ben Terris examined the questions surrounding Trump's health — a subject he previously addressed in an article published on January 26. And he explained why it can be difficult to determine how well-off the president is.

"Instead of just saying he's healthy for an almost 80-year-old, that he's slowing down a little bit, but he's certainly healthy enough to be president, people talk about him in these terms that are just completely outrageous: superhuman, the healthiest man alive," Terris explained. "He told me he was healthier than he was 40 years ago. The guy doesn't exercise; he doesn't eat well. He drinks enough Diet Coke to fill a football stadium. And you just can't quite trust the people around him. And I felt like the story I published said a lot about Trump's America, not just Trump's health."

Trump's bluster, according to Terris, may obscure questions about his physical and mental wellbeing.

"Donald Trump is about to be 80 years old," Terris argued. "Just by dint of that fact, it's a worthwhile story to cover. One reason I think that Trump is able to 'get away' with some things that could be signs of aging is that they could also just be signs of Donald Trump being Donald Trump. He has been a chaotic figure for a long time. He's got this rambling way of talking. He says unhinged, outrageous stuff. He did that 15 years ago. He does that now."

Terris added, "Are there differences in the way that he communicates between now and then? Sure, of course. But it's not as stark as if and when Biden starts to show signs of deteriorating. Because Biden was such a serious guy who kind of spoke in your traditional politician way, as soon as there was slippage, you could notice it a lot easier."

Trump, according to Terris, is having a hard time "controlling the narrative" about his health and other matters.

"Donald Trump does seem to be losing his ability to control his story," Ferris observed. "His poll numbers are not what he wants them to be. The midterms are trending in the wrong direction. The immigration story is not even going the way he wants to go, and that was kind of a top issue for him. The way that he tries to control the narrative, so to speak, of his health is sort of akin to how he's trying to control everything, and I just feel like he's sort of losing some of that control."

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