Why MAGA buys Trump's perfect health lie

Why MAGA buys Trump’s perfect health lie
Cultish devotion leads Republicans to see Trump as more god-like than human

By Amanda Marcotte
Senior Writer
Published June 1, 2026 6:45AM (EDT)


( Salon). "When it happens” — the phrase became a meme almost overnight, as Troy Farah recently observed, in no small part because, even in our attention-addled age, people understand what it means. Donald Trump, who turns 80 this month, is not well, which has led to waves of speculation about his health and, at times, even rumors that he has died.

The president regularly nods off on camera during public meetings. He appeared to nap during the May 27 Cabinet meeting, even though his appointees were competing with each other to offer empty flattery, which is usually his favorite activity. His hands are not only covered in bruises, but they have also started to swell alarmingly. While he struggles to stay awake during the day, the president is often up at odd hours of the night, raving incoherently on Truth Social while obsessively reposting artificial intelligence-generated memes that frame him as heroic. He’s had at least two surprise trips to the “dentist” this year — even though the White House has its own fully equipped dental suite. On May 26, Trump had his third “annual” exam in 13 months at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, after which he posted, “Everything checked out PERFECTLY.”

This is almost certainly a lie, though how big of one remains to be seen. People in perfect health don’t have swollen and bruised hands or the water balloon-sized ankles Trump sometimes sports. Even the White House communications staff has tacitly admitted that something is going on, though all they will say is Trump has chronic venous insufficiency, a conveniently benign condition. There is zero reason to trust Trump or his staff; they lie constantly about nearly everything. This includes false explanations about the president’s health, because the White House keeps insisting he’s merely blinking in photos with his eyes closed, when anyone who watches the videos can see his eyes are shut for long stints of time, and not just milliseconds.

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But there is one group of Americans who don’t seem able to see that Trump isn’t doing well: his MAGA supporters. Trump’s approval ratings have slipped to record lows, falling below even Biden’s dismal numbers at the height of public anxiety and outrage over his disastrous debate performance in June 2024 against Trump. But while Trump’s numbers are bottoming out with both Democrats and independents in the latest YouGov/Economist poll, he is still doing well with Republicans, 61% of whom express approval of the president. While this is the lowest his approval rating among the GOP has ever been, it still reflects an appalling measure of hypocrisy from voters who spent 2024 cackling about “Sleepy” Joe Biden — and who continue to insist that manly vigor is the most important part of leadership. .........(more)

https://www.salon.com/2026/06/01/why-maga-buys-trumps-perfect-health-lie/