John Smyth
2024-12-26 22:26:51 UTC
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Permalinkwas hospitalized for three days with COVID-19, requiring oxygen and strong
experimental medications, Trump tweeted, "Don't be afraid of Covid. Don't
let it dominate your life. [...] I feel better than I did 20 years ago!" So
it was unusual to see the one-time POTUS showing a sign of frailty on his
campaign stop in Iowa in January 2024. Washington Examiner reporter
Samantha-Jo Roth posted a video on X showing Trump walking through a hotel
lobby, seeming to drag his right leg slightly.
That semi-limp showed up again in another clip shared by his former senior
advisor Jason Miller. The odd gait didn't go unnoticed by followers. Some
attributed it to the brutally cold Iowa weather, but one commenter noted,
"My grandfather used to walk/wander/shuffle like this about a year before
he died. He was suffering from COPD, congestive heart failure, & extreme
neuropathy in feet from diabetes."
They might be right. More than 60% of adults over age 80 experience some
form of balance or gait disorder, according to research published by the
National Institutes of Health. Joint disorders such as arthritis can cause
shuffling, but so can neurological disorders like Parkinson's disease.
Dementia can also lead to changes in walking speed or style. Whatever the
cause, gait disorders increase the chances of a fall, which can be
extremely dangerous for someone Trump's age.