According to a New York Magazine profile, senior staff revealed that Trump has quietly abandoned his trademark golden hair dye, allowing it to turn white, a rare acknowledgement of the passage of time from a president long known for insisting age does not apply to him.

One senior aide told the magazine that the change was the president’s sole admission that he is getting older, even as he continues to publicly insist he is in “perfect health” and feels “the same as I did 40 years ago”.

Behind the scenes, however, staff say there have been other signs of decline.

Another senior staffer claimed the president’s hearing “isn’t what it used to be”, noting that Trump frequently asks people to speak louder, although he may not fully recognise the issue himself.

In January 2025, while televisions at Mar-a-Lago showed former president Jimmy Carter lying in state at the US Capitol, Trump reportedly said: “You know, within ten years that will be me.”

His press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, said she does not recall the comment being made.

Publicly, the president has reacted angrily to any suggestion that his health is deteriorating.

He prefaced a recent interview with a warning to journalists: “If you’re going to write a bad story about my health, I’m going to sue the ass off of New York Magazine.”

Despite his claims of robust health, questions have continued to swirl.

A dark bruise on his right hand, often photographed covered with makeup or a bandage, has fuelled speculation, with Trump blaming frequent handshaking and aspirin use. His doctors have also confirmed he suffers from chronic venous insufficiency, a common circulatory condition, after he was seen with swollen ankles on multiple occasions.

The president has also faced scrutiny over moments where he appeared to doze off at public events, despite regularly mocking former rival Joe Biden as “Sleepy Joe”.

Rumours intensified after Trump appeared “droopy” during a September 11 commemoration at the Pentagon last year. Shortly afterwards, he underwent an MRI scan, though details have not been disclosed.