Bogotá.- It is false that the President of the United States, Donald Trump, has been diagnosed with a mortal disease, despite the fact that some internet users claim so by sharing videos speculating on the health of the president, who suffers from chronic venous insufficiency, a condition that, while requiring medical attention, does not pose an imminent risk to his life.
Users on social media like Facebook and TikTok share several videos claiming that Trump is “on the verge of death” because “he was diagnosed with venous insufficiency, a chronic and serious illness.”
“Trump, divine punishment or mortal disease? (sic)”, shares a user on Facebook who echoes the sequence in which photographs of the American politician appear.
These messages began circulating after local media reported the presence of bruises on the president’s hand and slight swelling in his legs.
According to his own doctor and experts, the illness he suffers from is benign and common for his age. In addition, the White House recently reported that the politician remains in excellent health.
Trump’s diagnosis is not fatal
Firstly, the White House presidential spokesperson, Karoline Leavitt, confirmed during a press conference on July 17th that Trump suffers from chronic venous insufficiency, a benign and normal condition in the elderly, according to the EFE Agency.
According to the medical report released by the presidential doctor, Sean P. Barbabella, Trump’s examinations showed no “signs of deep vein thrombosis or arterial disease”, nor any signs of “heart failure, kidney failure, or systemic disease.”
Regarding the photographs published in the press showing a bruise on one of the president’s hands, Leavitt clarified that it was a slight “soft tissue irritation” due to the “frequent handshakes” and “the use of aspirin” that Trump takes as part of a preventive cardiovascular regimen.
“The president is in excellent health,” the spokeswoman told reporters.
The chronic venous insufficiency, like the one Trump has, occurs when the veins have difficulty returning blood to the heart properly, leading to a buildup of blood in the legs.
Advanced age is a significant risk factor for developing chronic venous insufficiency, a condition that tends to worsen over time. However, it can be managed if treatment is initiated in the early stages, as indicated by the United States National Library of Medicine (MedlinePlus).
In statements to EFE Salud, doctor Luis Rodríguez Padial explained that, in the face of chronic venous insufficiency, it is important to prevent the formation of blood clots, since there is a risk that one of them will travel to the lungs and cause a serious condition.
AI-Generated Videos to Misinform
Finally, the videos used to spread the messages about Trump’s supposed deadly illness show signs of having been computer-generated, as demonstrated by a review of the images and an analysis with specialized tools.
For example, the images that appear in one of the sequences present unnatural lighting, Trump’s face shows excessively smooth skin, and some objects and people appear blurred. These are characteristic features of content generated by artificial intelligence (AI).
Furthermore, the photograph attributed to spokesperson Karoline Leavitt does not match her actual appearance.
Also, an analysis carried out with the audio verification tool ‘Hiya Deepfake Voice Detector’, ensures that there is only a 1% probability that the voice heard in one of the viral videos is authentic.
EFE Verifica has already debunked in the past videos that use AI-created images and avatars to spread misinformation about Trump, such as the Supreme Court of the United States ordering him to deport his wife and son.
