US President Donald Trump appeared at a White House event on Monday with a noticeable red rash on his neck, which his doctor said was caused by a “preventative” skin treatment.
An AFP photograph showed a red patch with several brownish scabs visible above the collar of the 79-year-old president’s shirt on the right side of his neck. Trump is the oldest person ever elected to the US presidency.
In a statement to AFP, presidential physician Sean Barbabella said Trump was applying “a very common cream” to the affected area as part of a preventative treatment prescribed by the White House doctor.
“The president is using this treatment for one week, and the redness is expected to last for a few weeks,” the statement said.
The rash was visible during a Medal of Honor presentation ceremony, following a busy weekend in which Trump ordered US military strikes on Iran.
Trump has previously been seen with bruising on his hands, which the White House attributed to his use of aspirin.
Questions about the president’s health have circulated in recent months, fueled by the bruising, swelling in his legs, and several instances in which he appeared to briefly doze off during public events.
Last summer, the White House disclosed that swelling in Trump’s legs had been diagnosed as chronic venous insufficiency, a common condition in which damaged vein valves allow blood to pool in the lower limbs, leading to swelling, cramping, and skin changes.
AFP
