Fact Check: Is President Trump Using a Walker To Get Around?

Ever since Donald Trump began his second term in the White House, rumors have been running rampant about his health. From photos of the president falling asleep during important political events to close-ups of his hands showing severe bruising in an area that many people believe is the site where he has been given intravenous medication, many people are worried about how the 79-year-old will manage the rest of his four-year term.

Of course, those questions have only intensified after an image was circulated online that appeared to show a tired-looking Trump walking through the halls of the White House while using an ambulatory aid. The picture quickly went viral, prompting people to wonder if Trump is using a walker to get around behind closed doors.

Here's everything we know about the picture, including the surprising reason that the timing of the image helps explain what's actually happening.

On Dec. 11, 2025, an X account run by Keith Edwards (@keithedwards) shared a photo featuring Trump cruising through a corridor of the White House while holding onto a walker. The president was looking directly into the camera when the picture was snapped, and a few onlookers could be seen in the background, appearing to be watching the president's progress as he made his way down the hall.

The image quickly went viral, and less than 24 hours later, it had been reshared almost 7,000 times.

However, the truth of the situation appeared to be hidden in the caption of the post, where Edwards had written, "Breaking: an image has leaked showing Trump using a walker moments after he signed an executive order banning states from regulating AI."

It's that last part that's important, since the image appears to have been created using AI. According to the Lead Stories blog, the picture featured a "SynthID" watermark, indicating that it was created using Google's AI tool.

The same day the photo was shared, Trump signed an executive order that would block states from regulating artificial intelligence companies. The White House described the reasoning behind the decision on its official website, writing that the order aimed to "sustain and enhance the United States’ global AI dominance through a minimally burdensome national policy framework for AI."

During an interview, Trump further explained his reasoning to reporters.

NBC News says that while taking questions, Trump said that AI companies "want to be in the United States, and they want to do it here, and we have big investment coming. But if they had to get 50 different approvals from 50 different states, you could forget it."

As a result, it looks like the White House will create a task force specifically designed to fight state rules about AI.

However, the photo shared by Edwards seems to highlight the dangers of failing to regulate AI, especially when it comes to issues of national security, which could potentially happen if U.S. advisories begin to view Trump as being physically and emotionally unfit for the job.