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By Gabe Whisnant
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President Donald Trump's doctor said Monday that the president is using a prescribed preventive skin treatment on the right side of his neck, a topical cream expected to cause temporary redness for several weeks.
"President Trump is using a very common cream on the right side of his neck, which is a preventative skin 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," Dr. Sean Barbabella said in a message to reporters.
Neither Barbabella nor the White House have said why Trump needs the treatment. Newsweek has reached out to the White House via email on Monday night for comment.
Read More on Politics
The note from Trump's doctor comes after the neck rash raised eyebrows on social media as the president spoke during a Medal of Honor ceremony at the White House.
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What People Are Saying
Dr. Jonathan Reiner, former Vice President Dick Cheney's cardiologist and CNN medical analyst, on X: "Preventative skin treatments (such as topical 5 fluorouracil) are commonly used to prevent overt skin cancer in people with precancerous skin lesions. We don’t know what specific treatment the president is receiving, but why all the secrecy for something that is potentially easy to treat and very common in older people?"
CNN White House reporter Alayna Treene, on X after the doctor's note: "The question now is what exactly is this a preventative for? And why does the president need this treatment?"
Democratic commentator Harry Sisson, also on X: "What is this new rash on Trump’s neck??? Bruising on his hands, swollen ankles, rashes on his neck… it’s getting bad."
The Patriot Takes X account: "Concerning Trump’s neck rash, these are White House released photos from 2/24 (State of the Union [SOTU]) & 2/28 (Mar-a-Lago makeshift SCIF [Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility]) You can kind of see a rash in the SOTU pic, but the more recent one not much. This raises questions."
Donald Trump's Health: What to Know
Trump, 79, the oldest president to take the oath of office, has also faced questions on his health after periodic bruising appeared on the backs of both hands.
He has said it stems from frequent handshaking and his use of a higher daily dose of aspirin than recommended, which can increase susceptibility to bruising.
Trump also underwent two medical exams last year at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, including one that involved cardiovascular imaging, according to Barbabella. Trump's physician has repeatedly said Trump is healthy, writing in December that he “remains in excellent overall health.”
Updates: 3/2/26, 7:16 p.m. ET: This article was updated with new information and remarks.
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