When it comes to Donald Trump’s health, there’s always another mystery. The president regularly appears to nod off during meetings, and he’s frequently spotted with a makeup-covered hand bruise and other weird skin conditions. All of this is pretty typical for a person who just turned 80, but the White House rarely offers a satisfying explanation for Trump’s various physical issues, and reports on his medical exams are always light on details.

The Trump health drama du jour is particularly juicy. STAT reported on Tuesday that a lone 79-year-old man received “extraordinary” early access to retatrutide, a hotly anticipated obesity drug that may deliver weight loss on par with bariatric surgery:

But STAT has learned that Eli Lilly and the FDA have allowed one person to gain access to the drug through the FDA’s “compassionate use” program, a pathway that gives patients with serious and immediately life-threatening medical issues access to experimental treatments. This person was a 79-year-old man at the time the request was made in April, according to three sources familiar with the matter. Those sources, who requested anonymity due to fear of reprisals, said it drew the interest of top health officials, suggesting the person receiving this drug was well connected.

But STAT has learned that Eli Lilly and the FDA have allowed one person to gain access to the drug through the FDA’s “compassionate use” program, a pathway that gives patients with serious and immediately life-threatening medical issues access to experimental treatments. 

This person was a 79-year-old man at the time the request was made in April, according to three sources familiar with the matter. Those sources, who requested anonymity due to fear of reprisals, said it drew the interest of top health officials, suggesting the person receiving this drug was well connected.

This story is an absolute bombshell among Trump health conspiracy theorists, who have been insisting for months that the president is hiding something. But is there really reason to believe that Trump is the mystery patient? Here’s some evidence to consider before you hit the group chats and Reddit forums with your tinfoil-hat diagnosis.

Trump is an overweight 79-year-old man.

Or at least he was before he turned 80 on June 14.

Trump’s weight, and whether he’s technically overweight or obese, has long been a topic of debate. (Yes, usually it would be weird to fixate on a political figure’s weight, but we’re talking about a looks-obsessed man who once managed to body shame an aircraft carrier.) The New York Times summarized Trump’s weight fluctuations in January 2026:

Back in 2020, during his first term in office, Mr. Trump tipped the scales at 244 pounds, a weight formally deemed obese for his 6-foot-3 frame. At the president’s last physical, in April 2025, his........

© Daily Intelligencer