At 79, President Donald Trump is powering through grueling workdays that would exhaust most, defying whispers about his health with a schedule packed tighter than a rush-hour subway.
According to the Daily Mail, despite media speculation about declining stamina, Trump’s recently released itinerary reveals a whirlwind of activity, averaging over 10 hours daily with countless meetings, events, and travel, all while the White House pushes back hard against claims of any physical slowdown.
Let’s start with the basics: Trump kicks off his days around 8:30 a.m. with phone calls, then dives into an average of 21 meetings with staff, lawmakers, and high-profile figures like CEOs, whom he meets on most days.
Some of these discussions are quick; others stretch on, involving heavyweights like Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, showing a presidency in constant motion.
Even on quieter days, the president clocks around six hours of work, still finding time for high-profile events like the Kennedy Center Honors Dinner or accepting the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize at the FIFA World Cup Draw.
Then there are the marathon days—take December 3, when Trump juggled a staggering 32 events, or December 9, when his schedule ran from morning until nearly 11 p.m. after a rally in Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania, focused on economic issues but styled like a campaign defense of his second-term record.
Media outlets like The New York Times have pointed out shifts, noting Trump starts official events later now—around noon on average—compared to earlier in his first term, with a 39 percent drop in White House appearances overall.
They’ve also highlighted physical signs, from hand bruising explained away as enthusiastic handshakes to a July disclosure of Chronic Venous Insufficiency affecting his legs, which fueled more chatter about his fitness for the job. Yet, Trump’s not slowing down for critics—he’s jetting off on 12-hour flights to broker peace deals, like one to Israel for a Gaza cease-fire, while maintaining dozens of public events weekly and delivering lengthy, high-energy press conferences.
Trump himself isn’t shy about clapping back at the naysayers. “There has never been a President that has worked as hard as me! My hours are the longest, and my results are among the best,” he declared, dismissing any notion of faltering energy.
“Despite all of this, the time and work involved, The New York Times, and some others, like to pretend that I am 'slowing up,' am maybe not as sharp as I once was, or am in poor physical health, knowing that it is not true,” Trump added, calling out what he sees as biased reporting.
Now, let’s unpack that—The New York Times might fancy itself the arbiter of truth, but when a president logging late nights at Congressional balls and outlasting staffers half his age, their narrative of decline seems more like wishful thinking than fact.
A Times spokesperson countered, “Name-calling and personal insults don't change that, nor will our journalists hesitate to cover this administration in the face of intimidation tactics like this,” defending their coverage as vital to public understanding.
Fair enough, but when the president’s day stretches past 10 p.m. and includes everything from meeting television personalities to hosting CEOs, perhaps the story isn’t frailty—it’s fortitude, something progressive-leaning outlets might not be eager to spotlight over their preferred talking points.
At the end of the day, Trump’s schedule speaks louder than speculation; whether it’s 21 meetings or a rally that morphs into a fiery defense of his tenure, the man’s workload challenges the very doubts raised about his capacity, proving that age is just a number when resolve drives the engine.