October 30, 2025 • 7 mins
President Donald Trump’s trip to Japan is raising real questions about his health and his power. We break down the footage of the 79-year-old president gingerly taking the stairs off Air Force One in Tokyo, gripping the rail with both hands and dragging his right leg after meeting Emperor Naruhito — all while the White House refuses to explain why he quietly had an MRI this month but still calls his health “excellent.” We also get into Trump’s shocking speech to U.S. troops in Japan, where he floated sending the U.S. military — not just the National Guard — into American cities to “fix” crime, a scenario critics say sounds a lot like martial law. Then he bragged about sinking boats in the Caribbean and called it a drug war, despite other governments saying civilians and even fishermen were killed. All that, plus Trump telling sailors he’s “always wanted to be an admiral.” This is your daily reality check on the age, stability, and judgment of the guy threatening to use the military at home while insisting he’s in “incredible shape.”
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
Kalaroga Shark media from Japan, where you can ignore those
threats of martial law coming from the president of the
United States. This is ballot for a guy who can't
even walk down a flight of stairs. There's a lot
of tough talk coming out of his mouth. Let's hit this.
I'm Patrick Guttfield and Donald Trump's arrival in Japan has
(00:26):
people worried about his health, and the footage of him
getting off Air Force one tells you everything you need
to know. The seventy nine year old president descended the
stairs of Air Force one at honey To Airport in Tokyo,
moving like someone navigating an ice rink, eyes fixed downward,
gripping the handrail with both hands, taking slow, measured heel
(00:46):
to toe steps. He looked less like the President of
the United States and more like someone's grandfather being extra
careful at the grocery store. Trump himself told Marines earlier
this month that he takes extra care going down steps
and shouldn't bop down the stairs, which is a very
specific thing to tell the Marines. Nobody just casually announces
(01:07):
their stair strategy unless stairs have become a significant concern.
Then there's the meeting with Japan's Emperor Naruhito. Video shows
Trump walking gingerly from his limo to shake the emperor's hand,
and when he left the meeting, you could see him
dragging his right leg and favoring his left side. That's
not incredible shape. That's someone who needs to sit down.
(01:28):
All of this comes right after Trump admitted on the
flight from Malaysia that he had an MRI during what
was supposed to be a routine medical checkup on October tenth.
An MRI during a routine checkup, which is like saying
you got routine open heart surgery. The White House has
not released a full physician's note from that visit. They
(01:49):
put out a summary and called Trump's health excellent, but
they won't explain why he needed an MRI. Press Secretary
Caroline Levitt refused to specify which tests were performed, which
is usually what you do when everything's totally fine and
there's nothing to hide. And there are other signs. Trump
has had a recurring bruise on his hand for months
(02:11):
that he often covers with makeup. His ankles are visibly swollen.
Doctors have diagnosed him with chronic venus insufficiency, which is
when damaged veins slow blood flow back to the heart.
Medical experts on the Daily Beast podcast pointed to memory
lapses and disorganized speech as warning signs of cognitive decline,
(02:31):
which tracks considering he just gave a speech to the
Navy about how water destroys magnets. But the White House
Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly insists President Trump is an
incredible shape as a champion level golfer and is demonstrating
his unmatched stamina during his multi leg trip to Asia.
Champion level golfer, that's the defense. He can hit a
(02:53):
golf ball while riding in a cart, Therefore, he's healthy
enough to run the country. Look, nobody's saying Trump needs
to spray down the stairs of Air Force One like
he's in an action movie. But when the President of
the United States is gripping the handrail like it's the
only thing keeping him alive, when he's dragging his leg
after meetings with foreign leaders, when he's had a mysterious
(03:14):
MRI that nobody will explain, and when his own staff
won't release his medical records, that's concerning. The man is
seventy nine years old building a three hundred million dollar ballroom,
shutting down the government while forty million people lose food assistance,
and explaining to the Navy that tractors prove magnets don't work.
But sure, he's a champion level golfer. Everything's fine. Trump
(03:49):
gave a speech to American troops in Japan where he
threatened to deploy military forces beyond the National Guard into
US cities, defended killing civilians at sea, and told the
sailors he'd always wanted to be an admiral. The seventy
nine year old president was aboard the USS George Washington
at Yokosuka Naval Base, delivering what was supposed to be
a speech to military service members. Instead, it turned into
(04:11):
an hour long rally where he mixed his usual ramblings
about how attractive people are with dark threats about using
the military against American cities. We have cities that are troubled.
We can't have cities that are troubled, Trump said, And
we're sending in our national Guard, and if we need
more than the National Guard, we'll send more than the
National Guard, because we're going to have safe cities. So
(04:33):
the President of the United States just announced on foreign
soil in front of thousands of troops, that he's prepared
to deploy military forces beyond the National Guard into American cities,
which sounds an awful lot like martial law, but he
said it so casually you'd think he was talking about
ordering pizza. Whether people like that or not, that's what
(04:53):
we're doing, he added, which is reassuring. Then he moved
on to defending the military strikes in the Caribe and
Eastern Pacific that have killed forty three people. The administration
claims they were all drug smugglers, but they've provided zero evidence.
Other governments, including Columbia, say innocent people were killed, including fishermen.
(05:14):
Trump's response, submarines don't go fishing. That's his proof case closed.
If you're on a boat near South America, you must
be a drug smuggler, so the military can blow you
up without trial or evidence. He called it a war.
We're winning it already. The sea. I mean, the only
problem is nobody wants to go into the sea anymore,
even the fishing boats. Right, Nobody wants to go fishing
(05:38):
anymore because the United States military is sinking boats and
killing people without verifying whether they're actually smugglers. That'll do it.
Trump praised the tactics, saying we're knocking them out one
by one and claiming the US has almost completely stopped
drugs from coming by sea, and now we'll stop the
drugs coming in by land, he promised, which I guess
means what military strikes on America and soil. But here's
(06:02):
where it gets really weird. After threatening to deploy military
forces into American cities and defending extra judicial killings at sea,
Trump spent a considerable portion of his speech trying to
be charming. Our ultimate strength does not come from equipment.
It comes from the men and women of the rank
and file. That's true. It comes from you people. Incredible people,
(06:24):
good looking people. Too many good looking people. I don't
like good looking people. I never liked good looking people.
I'll be honest with you. Never admitted that before this
from a man who often dances to the village people.
Then he promised salary increases for service members, even though
the government shutdown he caused has forced him to move
federal funds around and rely on a private donation just
(06:47):
to pay troops. He told the sailors that many of
them took a pay cut to attend the event, but
assured them. We're not going to deduct anything because you
came in to listen to your commander. How generous. Don't worry,
I won't dock your pay for being forced to listen
to me ramble for an hour, and then this final detail.
I'd like to be an admiral. I always wanted to
(07:09):
be an admiral. To be honest, the seventy nine year
old president of the United States, who avoided the draft
multiple times, who just threatened to deploy military forces into
American cities, who's defending killing civilians without evidence, told active
duty military personnel that he wishes he could be an admiral.
Portions of today's show were made with the help of
AI
Kalaroga Shark media from Japan, where you can ignore those
threats of martial law coming from the president of the
United States. This is ballot for a guy who can't
even walk down a flight of stairs. There's a lot
of tough talk coming out of his mouth. Let's hit this.
I'm Patrick Guttfield and Donald Trump's arrival in Japan has
(00:26):
people worried about his health, and the footage of him
getting off Air Force one tells you everything you need
to know. The seventy nine year old president descended the
stairs of Air Force one at honey To Airport in Tokyo,
moving like someone navigating an ice rink, eyes fixed downward,
gripping the handrail with both hands, taking slow, measured heel
(00:46):
to toe steps. He looked less like the President of
the United States and more like someone's grandfather being extra
careful at the grocery store. Trump himself told Marines earlier
this month that he takes extra care going down steps
and shouldn't bop down the stairs, which is a very
specific thing to tell the Marines. Nobody just casually announces
(01:07):
their stair strategy unless stairs have become a significant concern.
Then there's the meeting with Japan's Emperor Naruhito. Video shows
Trump walking gingerly from his limo to shake the emperor's hand,
and when he left the meeting, you could see him
dragging his right leg and favoring his left side. That's
not incredible shape. That's someone who needs to sit down.
(01:28):
All of this comes right after Trump admitted on the
flight from Malaysia that he had an MRI during what
was supposed to be a routine medical checkup on October tenth.
An MRI during a routine checkup, which is like saying
you got routine open heart surgery. The White House has
not released a full physician's note from that visit. They
(01:49):
put out a summary and called Trump's health excellent, but
they won't explain why he needed an MRI. Press Secretary
Caroline Levitt refused to specify which tests were performed, which
is usually what you do when everything's totally fine and
there's nothing to hide. And there are other signs. Trump
has had a recurring bruise on his hand for months
(02:11):
that he often covers with makeup. His ankles are visibly swollen.
Doctors have diagnosed him with chronic venus insufficiency, which is
when damaged veins slow blood flow back to the heart.
Medical experts on the Daily Beast podcast pointed to memory
lapses and disorganized speech as warning signs of cognitive decline,
(02:31):
which tracks considering he just gave a speech to the
Navy about how water destroys magnets. But the White House
Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly insists President Trump is an
incredible shape as a champion level golfer and is demonstrating
his unmatched stamina during his multi leg trip to Asia.
Champion level golfer, that's the defense. He can hit a
(02:53):
golf ball while riding in a cart, Therefore, he's healthy
enough to run the country. Look, nobody's saying Trump needs
to spray down the stairs of Air Force One like
he's in an action movie. But when the President of
the United States is gripping the handrail like it's the
only thing keeping him alive, when he's dragging his leg
after meetings with foreign leaders, when he's had a mysterious
(03:14):
MRI that nobody will explain, and when his own staff
won't release his medical records, that's concerning. The man is
seventy nine years old building a three hundred million dollar ballroom,
shutting down the government while forty million people lose food assistance,
and explaining to the Navy that tractors prove magnets don't work.
But sure, he's a champion level golfer. Everything's fine. Trump
(03:49):
gave a speech to American troops in Japan where he
threatened to deploy military forces beyond the National Guard into
US cities, defended killing civilians at sea, and told the
sailors he'd always wanted to be an admiral. The seventy
nine year old president was aboard the USS George Washington
at Yokosuka Naval Base, delivering what was supposed to be
a speech to military service members. Instead, it turned into
(04:11):
an hour long rally where he mixed his usual ramblings
about how attractive people are with dark threats about using
the military against American cities. We have cities that are troubled.
We can't have cities that are troubled, Trump said, And
we're sending in our national Guard, and if we need
more than the National Guard, we'll send more than the
National Guard, because we're going to have safe cities. So
(04:33):
the President of the United States just announced on foreign
soil in front of thousands of troops, that he's prepared
to deploy military forces beyond the National Guard into American cities,
which sounds an awful lot like martial law, but he
said it so casually you'd think he was talking about
ordering pizza. Whether people like that or not, that's what
(04:53):
we're doing, he added, which is reassuring. Then he moved
on to defending the military strikes in the Caribe and
Eastern Pacific that have killed forty three people. The administration
claims they were all drug smugglers, but they've provided zero evidence.
Other governments, including Columbia, say innocent people were killed, including fishermen.
(05:14):
Trump's response, submarines don't go fishing. That's his proof case closed.
If you're on a boat near South America, you must
be a drug smuggler, so the military can blow you
up without trial or evidence. He called it a war.
We're winning it already. The sea. I mean, the only
problem is nobody wants to go into the sea anymore,
even the fishing boats. Right, Nobody wants to go fishing
(05:38):
anymore because the United States military is sinking boats and
killing people without verifying whether they're actually smugglers. That'll do it.
Trump praised the tactics, saying we're knocking them out one
by one and claiming the US has almost completely stopped
drugs from coming by sea, and now we'll stop the
drugs coming in by land, he promised, which I guess
means what military strikes on America and soil. But here's
(06:02):
where it gets really weird. After threatening to deploy military
forces into American cities and defending extra judicial killings at sea,
Trump spent a considerable portion of his speech trying to
be charming. Our ultimate strength does not come from equipment.
It comes from the men and women of the rank
and file. That's true. It comes from you people. Incredible people,
(06:24):
good looking people. Too many good looking people. I don't
like good looking people. I never liked good looking people.
I'll be honest with you. Never admitted that before this
from a man who often dances to the village people.
Then he promised salary increases for service members, even though
the government shutdown he caused has forced him to move
federal funds around and rely on a private donation just
(06:47):
to pay troops. He told the sailors that many of
them took a pay cut to attend the event, but
assured them. We're not going to deduct anything because you
came in to listen to your commander. How generous. Don't worry,
I won't dock your pay for being forced to listen
to me ramble for an hour, and then this final detail.
I'd like to be an admiral. I always wanted to
(07:09):
be an admiral. To be honest, the seventy nine year
old president of the United States, who avoided the draft
multiple times, who just threatened to deploy military forces into
American cities, who's defending killing civilians without evidence, told active
duty military personnel that he wishes he could be an admiral.
Portions of today's show were made with the help of
AI
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!