Overview
- High-resolution images from a White House Medal of Honor ceremony showed a red, scab-like patch behind the president’s right ear, documented by AFP’s Saul Loeb and AP’s Mark Schiefelbein.
- White House physician Dr. Sean Barbabella said the president is using a very common prescribed cream as a preventative skin treatment for one week, with redness expected to persist for a few weeks.
- Officials have not specified the name of the cream, what condition it is intended to prevent, or when the treatment began.
- The photos circulated widely on social platforms, prompting speculation and follow-up questions from reporters, which the White House has not yet addressed in detail.
- The visible mark drew renewed attention to past disclosures about the 79-year-old president’s health, including easy hand bruising attributed to handshaking and aspirin use, a 2025 note on mometasone cream, and indications that some neck redness appeared in late-February photos.