Does Trump wear LVAD medical device? It’s unlikely

In early September 2025, numerous social media posts online speculated about U.S. President Donald Trump’s health, particularly after photographs claiming to show mysterious bumps under his suit spread online. 

One image claimed a boxlike device was placed under Trump’s shirt, which became visible as he lifted up an arm, leading to speculation he was wearing a left ventricular assist device, an implantable pump that helps the heart move blood around the body. Another image speculated about a protrusion under the arm of his suit jacket, saying fabric did not usually fall like that. 

While we cannot confirm what caused the apparent lump under Trump’s suit, or what the shape under his shirt was, we found it highly unlikely that he was wearing an LVAD. Implanting the device requires open-heart surgery, which would require significant recovery time. Trump would not be making such public appearances and speeches were that the case. 

We reached out to the White House regarding the rumors and the state of Trump’s health. We will update this story if we get more information. 

Examining the footage

We looked closely at video footage of Trump’s speech on Sept. 2 and found there was an apparent protrusion under the right arm of his jacket. A lump is visible as Trump moves at the 18:36 mark, and it smooths out as he stops leaning toward his right:

The lump could have been any number of things, from the padding of his jacket to a possible wire. Any claims about it are pure speculation. 

Trump also raised his arm at the 41:53 mark, revealing his shirt. We looked closely at the screenshot below and found the shadow on his shirt. We also cannot independently confirm what the alleged boxlike shape was. It could simply have been a shirt crease. As with the lump, any claims are just speculation. 

(YouTube user WFAA)

About LVADs

However, it is highly unlikely that Trump was wearing an LVAD. The device, according to Johns Hopkins University, is “a battery-operated pump implanted inside the heart’s left ventricle or attached to it. A tube runs from the LVAD pump to the outside of the body and connects to the LVAD’s control system and battery, worn on a strap or belt.”

According to the Mayo Clinic, an LVAD can be placed only through open-heart surgery. Recovery from this procedure can take days and may even require the patient to be on a ventilator afterward. 

According to Stanford University, patients remain in the hospital 14 to 21 days on average after LVAD implantation. Johns Hopkins noted that most patients remain in the hospital or a rehabilitation facility for another one to three weeks.

Trump’s health concerns

Trump’s health became the subject of widespread speculation in late August 2025 after he had not been seen in public for several days, reemerging on Aug. 31, when he was spotted walking with one of his grandchildren after golfing in Virginia. If Trump had an LVAD implanted during the approximately four days he was not in the public eye, he would not have been walking, let alone golfing on Aug. 31, followed by his subsequent appearances. 

We have previously reported on apparent bruises on his hands. Photographs on Getty Images taken in August and September 2025 showed persistent bruising or discoloration, as well as makeup covering up the discoloration. In February, the White House said Trump’s bruises were a result of him “constantly working and shaking hands all day every day.” 

In July 2025, Trump’s physician wrote that the president took aspirin as part of his “cardiovascular prevention regimen” and the bruising was a “well known and minor side effect of aspirin therapy.” In the same report, the physician revealed that Trump had “chronic venous insufficiency” a “benign and common” condition. 

According to the Cleveland Clinic, chronic venous insufficiency occurs when leg veins become damaged and no longer let blood flow to the heart, leading to ulcers and swelling in the legs. 

In 2024, Snopes covered strange red “sores” that appeared on Trump’s hands and mysteriously disappeared.

Sources