A former White House physician has suggested that President Donald Trump's visible leg swelling could point to a more serious underlying condition than the benign diagnosis offered by the administration.

Speaking on CNN on Wednesday, Dr. Jonathan Reiner — best known as former Vice President Dick Cheney's cardiologist — addressed several health-related concerns surrounding the president, including swelling in his legs, dark marks on his hands, and instances of him falling asleep during meetings. Trump's physician has attributed the leg swelling to chronic venous insufficiency, a common condition in older adults where leg veins struggle to return blood to the heart.

"I hope he has that because that's really a benign issue that you see in older people," Reiner said. "But if indeed he didn't have any swelling three months before and now he has this, what appears to be sort of massive swelling of his legs, that's a much bigger concern."

Reiner cautioned that if the swelling emerged suddenly within the past three months, it could potentially be linked to "cardiac issues" or "kidney issues." He noted that photographs showing "really obvious swelling" surfaced approximately three months ago, but the White House has not clarified whether that marked the onset of the condition.

"Really, none of these issues have been adequately addressed," Reiner said.

Reiner also pushed back on the official explanation for bruising observed on Trump's left hand. "His bruising, his left hand isn't bruising from vigorous hand shaking," he said, adding that the president's "daytime somnolence" was entirely absent from the findings of his most recent physical examination.

That exam took place in late May at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. The White House characterized it as a "routine annual dental and medical assessment" and published results declaring the president to be in "excellent health." However, reports indicated that 22 medical specialists participated in the evaluation — the highest number publicly disclosed for a presidential checkup in modern records.

Presidential health disclosures have long been a subject of public scrutiny, though the level of detail provided has varied widely across administrations. At 79, Trump is the oldest person ever inaugurated as U.S. president, a distinction previously held by Joe Biden, whose own fitness for office was the subject of intense debate during his term. Reiner's comments add to a recurring pattern in which outside medical professionals have offered public assessments of presidents based on visible signs rather than access to medical records.

"Anyone who watches the president can see this," Reiner said of the visible health issues. "It's distinctly not normal, but it's become normalized. 'Oh, the president is just asleep.' It's not normal, and it really needs to be addressed."