Bulwark Takes – The Oldest President in History Is Acting His Age

Podcast: Bulwark Takes
Date: January 3, 2026
Guests: Sam Stein (Managing Editor at The Bulwark), Sonny Bunch

Episode Overview

Sam Stein and Sonny Bunch analyze the Wall Street Journal’s deep-dive into President Donald Trump’s health as he becomes the oldest American president ever sworn in. The discussion blends reported facts, first-person anecdotes, and the notorious peculiarities of Trump’s public and private health habits—offering insights into transparency, presidential stamina, and the media’s role in health reporting.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Wall Street Journal’s Reporting & Trump’s Reaction

• The Journal investigates Trump’s health more seriously than past coverage, prompting Trump to personally call reporters and insist upon his robust health.
  • “Trump felt the need to actually get on the phone with the reporters... and insist that he's the picture of great health.” (Sam Stein, 02:10)
• Trump publicly touts frequent cognitive tests and claims repeated perfect results, raising further questions.
  • “He keeps doing [cognitive tests], and it's interesting that he keeps getting annoyed at having to talk about doing it... why are you doing so many cognitive tests all the time? Why is this needed?” (Sonny Bunch, 02:53)

2. Aging, Public Appearances, and Visible Signs

• Trump is currently the oldest president, surpassing Biden’s record by five months (04:10).
• While Trump actively participates in live reporter Q&A (unlike Biden), Stein and Bunch both note he appears slower, more fatigued, and sometimes falls asleep during public events.
  • “My favorite little tidbit... we've told the President he has to keep his eyes open. Which is a hilarious thing to have to say to the president.” (Sonny Bunch, 04:45)

3. Physical Health: Bruises, Blood Thinners, and Compression Socks

• The Journal piece reveals Trump's bruised hands, attributed to heavy aspirin use for blood thinning.
  • “Trump's on a fairly heavy dose of aspirin... His explanation is that he just likes thin blood.” (Sam Stein, 06:04)
  • Notable Trump quote: “I don't want thick blood pouring through my heart, I want nice, thin blood pouring through my heart. Does that make sense?” (Sam Stein, quoting Trump, 06:12)
• Doctors recommended compression socks; Trump stopped wearing them out of dislike—highlighting health compliance issues.

4. Junk Food & Trump’s Diet

• Trump’s diet remains notoriously unhealthy—high in fast food and low in vegetables or nutritious options.
  • “While flying to a campaign event... Trump consumed French fries, a McDonald's Quarter Pounder hamburger, a Big Mac and a fish fillet.” (Sam Stein, 08:27)
• Anecdote: Stein shares an abandoned Daily Beast story about a reporter who considered eating Trump’s diet for a week, but quit after a nutritionist intervened with concerns.
  • “The reporter completely freaked out and backed out of the story.” (Sam Stein, 09:10)
• Bunch wryly observes the difference between a competitive eating feat and an elderly president’s daily routine:
  • “For a regular 80 year old man having lunch all the time, a lot of McDonald's, that's a lot.” (Sonny Bunch, 10:21)
  • Amused analogy: “His body has clearly adapted to this lifestyle in some way, like a Chernobyl accident victim absorbing radiation and processing it.” (Sonny Bunch, 10:29)

5. Exercise & Sleep Habits

• Trump avoids exercise, believing in a “finite energy” theory (akin to a video game health bar) and minimally participates in physical activity, even while golfing.
  • “He believes he has, like, a finite amount of energy and that, like, the more exercise you do, it depletes the energy.” (Sonny Bunch, 11:07)
• Trump reportedly gets little sleep, operating at all hours, often scrolling online or watching television.
  • “He's just, like, constantly on the go. His mind's racing... scrolling through Internet, watching Fox News. He'll doze here and there.” (Sam Stein, 11:53)
• White House staff and Cabinet appointees have reportedly adopted unhealthy sleep routines to keep pace; it’s a “machismo” measure to stay awake as long as Trump while flying on Air Force One.

6. Scans, Transparency, and the White House Spin

• The administration was vague about recent health scans, initially stating MRI and then clarifying it was a CT scan to “definitively rule out any cardiovascular issues.”
  • “There's a couple things here. One is, why not just say that from the get go, right? Like, that doesn't quite make sense to me if it was, I don't know, not a big deal.” (Sam Stein, 13:30)
• The hosts discuss the history of ambiguous reporting on Trump’s cholesterol and heart health, referencing Dr. Ronnie Jackson’s 2018 acknowledgment of an “elevated coronary calcium score.”
• Bunch is critical of the administration’s lack of full transparency:
  • “...We can't believe anything that they say... In a normal functioning White House, you like to have this idea of full transparency... there has been nothing in this administration... that leads me to believe that we have all of the information that we need here.” (Sonny Bunch, 14:47)

7. Would Openness Hurt? Presidential Health and Public Disclosure

• Stein raises the hypothetical: Would honesty really damage Trump if the White House were openly forthcoming with age-related issues?
• Bunch replies that it likely wouldn’t hurt Trump with his base or change his eligibility:
  • “Being transparent about this stuff does not actually change anything about what he can do...” (Sonny Bunch, 17:04)
  • “He seems vexed by having to discuss it.” (Sonny Bunch, 17:35)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Trump’s Self-Defense:
  • “I aced [my cognitive test]... for the third straight time... no other president or previous vice president was willing to take [it]... anyone running for president or vice president should be mandatorily forced to take a strong, meaningful and proven cognitive examination.” (Read aloud, Sam Stein, 03:03)
• On Resting Eyes:
  • “We've told the President he has to keep his eyes open. Which is a hilarious thing to have to say to the president.” (Sonny Bunch, 04:45)
• On Trump’s Diet:
  • “This is not great eating by any stretch of the imagination.” (Sam Stein, 09:10)
  • “His body has clearly adapted to this lifestyle... like a Chernobyl accident victim absorbing radiation and processing it.” (Sonny Bunch, 10:29)
• On Sleep Structure:
  • “It became a thing on Air Force One... that you would stay up with the big guy... people were just killing themselves through sleep deprivation.” (Sam Stein, 12:10)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:29] Start of main discussion; Sam Stein and Sonny Bunch greet and introduce the topic.
• [02:10] Wall Street Journal article and Trump’s direct call to reporters.
• [03:03] Trump’s public boasting about cognitive tests.
• [04:10] Confirmation of Trump as the oldest president; initial comments on his public demeanor.
• [06:04] The aspirin regimen, blood thinning, and bruised hands narrative.
• [08:27] Details of Trump’s fast food diet and anecdotes on attempted reporting.
• [11:07] Trump’s beliefs about exercise and personal energy.
• [11:53] Trump’s erratic sleep habits and the culture among White House staff.
• [13:30] Transparency issues regarding MRI vs. CT scan.
• [14:47] Critique of White House communication and transparency.
• [16:52] Discussion of hypothetical full disclosure of Trump’s health details.
• [17:04] Potential political implications of health transparency.
• [18:18] Episode closes; banter about the Trump Diet Challenge.

Final Thoughts

The episode delivers a spirited, occasionally humorous dissection of the unprecedented realities of an octogenarian American president whose health, lifestyle, and communication remain as unorthodox and newsworthy as ever. Stein and Bunch emphasize how the lack of health transparency, Trump’s personal habits, and the administration’s messaging all combine into a uniquely modern American political spectacle—one where presidential stamina becomes both a matter of speculation and spectacle.