Donald Trump's Right Leg Prompts Speculation

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Once again people are questioning the mobility of Donald Trump's right leg after a video went viral online of him allegedly "dragging" it.

Ever since Trump, the presumed 2024 GOP presidential nominee, decided to run for president again, critics have speculated about his physical condition. People online have been paying close attention to his right leg, despite there never having been any news that something is wrong with his limb.

A clip was posted to X, formerly Twitter, by Ron Filipkowski, a Trump critic and the editor-in-chief of the independent news network MeidasTouch who has more than 882,000 followers on the site. In the video, Trump can be seen dancing on stage by moving his clenched fists back and forth while audience members cheer him on. Once his dancing is over, he then makes his way off stage, gripping the handrails of the stairs as he walks down them.

"Something is definitely going on with his right leg. He's been dragging it for months. This weekend..." Filipowski captioned the video. At the time of writing, the post had been viewed 1 million times.

Newsweek has not been able to independently verify the veracity of the video in the post and has contacted Filipkowski for clarification via X.

Newsweek emailed a spokesperson for Trump for comment on Tuesday.

Filipkowski's post prompted a lot of comments, with people taking the opportunity to share their theories.

"He gripped that stair rail for life didn't he?" one person wrote.

"Imagine the right wing's reaction if [President] Joe Biden were dragging his leg around like that. It would be lead story on Fox News every night and every pundit would be talking about it. Since it's Trump, of course, they all ignore it," said another.

"Also, now needing to hold onto not just one handrail, but both. Was his walker waiting at the bottom of the stairs?" someone else asked.

A fourth person added: "Whatever it is, I hope it deteriorates rapidly to the point where he can NO LONGER DO THAT ANNOYING F****** DANCE!"

Donald Trump at a rally
Donald Trump on March 16, 2024, in Vandalia, Ohio. Once again, people are questioning his mobility and the condition of his right leg. Scott Olson/Getty Images

Others weren't impressed with the speculation that was taking place.

"It is not unusual for we old folk to have knee issues. Don't read anything into it," an X user wrote.

"How are you so obsessed with him?" someone else asked.

A third added: "Old is Old. Not a fan of his but everyone gets old if they're lucky."

This isn't the first time that Filipkowski, a long-time critic of the former president, has questioned the movement of Trump's right leg. In February, he uploaded a video to X of people cheering Trump as he walked into a room.

"Still dragging that right leg," Filipkowski captioned the video. At the time of writing, the post had received 958,000 views.

Filipkowski also previously reposted a video uploaded by Trump's senior adviser, Jason Miller, of the former president delivering pizza to firefighters before the Iowa Republican caucuses in January.

"He keeps dragging that right leg," Filipkowski captioned the video. At the time of writing it had been viewed 994,200 times.

Now aged 77, Trump has previously admitted that his health was a consideration in his decision to run for the presidency for a third time.

"You always have to talk about health," Trump said in an interview with The Washington Post. "You look like you're in good health, but tomorrow, you get a letter from a doctor saying come see me again. That's not good when they use the word again."

Trump shared a report in November that he said was from his physician, which stated his cognitive health was "exceptional." It also said Trump "reduced his weight through an improved diet and continued daily physical activity."

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About the writer

Billie is a Newsweek Pop Culture and Entertainment Reporter based in London who has appeared online, in print and on radio. She has extensively covered pop culture, women's rights and lifestyle topics throughout her career and has interviewed numerous celebrities, including Jude Law, Billy Crystal and country singer Lainey Wilson. Originally from Sydney, Australia, Billie moved to London in 2019. She joined Newsweek in 2023 and has previously written for Stylist, Cosmopolitan, Popsugar, Metro.co.uk, The Mirror and Business Insider, just to name a few. She studied Media (Communications and Journalism) at the University of New South Wales. Languages: English. You can get in touch with Billie by emailing b.schwabdunn@newsweek.com, and on X at @billie_sd.


Billie is a Newsweek Pop Culture and Entertainment Reporter based in London who has appeared online, in print and on ... Read more