Donald Trump Reportedly Admits Taking Daily Preventative Medication Amid Ongoing Health Concerns

President Donald Trump discussed his daily aspirin use at a rally in Vandalia, Ohio, on 3 October, saying he takes the medication partly for ‘psychological’ reasons. He also said doctors have advised him to switch to a lower dose The White House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons President Donald Trump discussed his daily aspirin use during a 3 October rally in Vandalia, Ohio, saying he takes the medication partly because he needs it ‘psychologically.’ Trump also acknowledged that doctors have encouraged him to switch to a lower dose.

The remarks came during a campaign rally at Vandalia-Butler High School. Trump appeared in support of Republican candidates, including Sen. Jon Husted and Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.

‘I take an aspirin a day,’ Trump told the crowd. ‘I don’t know if it works, but psychologically I need it. It thins the hell out of your blood, I guess.’

His comments revived attention around a medication regimen that has already been documented by his physician.

Trump said he prefers Bayer aspirin and takes what he called ‘the big one.’ He added that doctors have encouraged him to take a lower-dose tablet.

‘They want me to go down to the 80. I take the 386. I don’t know what the hell it is. It’s a monster,’ Trump said.

He continued, ‘They said, ‘Sir, you don’t need that!’ I said, ‘Do me a favor, I’ve been doing okay for 35 years. Leave me alone.”

The reference to ‘386’ conflicts with information previously released by Trump’s physician.

Earlier in 2026, Capt. Sean Barbabella, physician to the president, disclosed that Trump takes 325 milligrams of aspirin each day for cardiac prevention. Bayer lists 325 milligrams as a regular-dose aspirin and 81 milligrams as a low-dose product.

Trump’s rally remarks therefore do not establish that he takes a 386-milligram dose. They also do not show that his documented 325-milligram regimen has changed.

His account of how long he has taken aspirin has varied as well.

Trump previously described using aspirin for around 25 years. Another account put the period at 30 years, while he told the Ohio crowd he had followed the routine for 35 years.

Those timelines cannot be reconciled from Trump’s public comments. The clearest description is that he has said he has taken aspirin daily for decades.

The White House has previously addressed questions about bruising visible on Trump’s hands.

In July 2025, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump’s physician attributed the bruising to frequent handshaking combined with his aspirin use.

Trump’s May 2026 annual physical also listed aspirin among his medications. The medical report described its purpose as cardiac prevention and said Trump had been counselled to take low-dose aspirin.

The same examination reported normal cardiac structure and function. It also said coronary CT angiography found no arterial obstruction and that neurological testing was within normal limits.

Those findings provide important context for Trump’s latest remarks. Nothing he said at the Ohio rally amounted to an announcement of a new diagnosis or evidence of an undisclosed medical condition.

Aspirin works by reducing the tendency of platelets to clump together. According to the US Food and Drug Administration, daily aspirin can benefit some patients with cardiovascular disease or a previous heart attack or stroke.

However, daily aspirin is not suitable for everyone. The FDA says the medicine can increase the risk of serious bleeding, and decisions about routine use and dosage should involve a health professional.

That distinction is particularly important here. Trump’s remarks described his own long-running routine rather than medical advice for the public.

His physician has already identified aspirin as part of his cardiac prevention regimen. The unresolved issue from Saturday’s rally is simpler. Trump’s reference to ‘386’ does not match the publicly documented 325-milligram daily dose.