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Are there corroborated photos or videos showing Donald Trump with a catheter bag?

Checked on November 6, 2025
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Executive Summary

Photos and videos from a June 7, 2025 UFC appearance show a visible bulge or tube-like outline on Donald Trump’s left pant leg; independent fact-checkers and news outlets examined the material but no corroborated visual evidence definitively proves the object was a catheter. The White House denied the claim and cited recent medical reports declaring the president in good health, while analyses by outlets including Snopes concluded the imagery is inconclusive and the matter unresolved [1] [2].

1. What people are actually claiming — The core allegations driving the story

Online posts claim President Trump wore a Foley catheter or catheter bag during public appearances, pointing to a line or bulge on his left pant leg captured in photos and video at the UFC event on June 7, 2025. These claims frame the imagery as evidence of urinary incontinence or underlying neurological issues and circulated widely on social platforms, prompting journalists and fact-checkers to analyze the original images. Reporting emphasizes that the allegation rests entirely on visual interpretation of clothing contours rather than any independent medical disclosure or authenticated behind-the-scenes imagery showing a catheter or drainage bag [3] [4].

2. What the visual record actually shows — Close look at photos and videos

Multiple outlets and a Snopes investigation reviewed the available photos and video clips and found a visible tube-like outline or bulge, but concluded the images are ambiguous: the shape could be a catheter, a clothing crease, lighting artifact, or something else in a pocket or trouser seam. No published photo or video has been authenticated as showing a catheter bag exteriorized and connected to the body, and no close-range medical image or hospital documentation has been produced that would confirm catheter use. Fact-checkers urged caution, noting the technical limitations of interpreting small details in press photographs taken at distance and under uneven lighting [2] [5].

3. Official accounts and medical records — What the White House says and what physicians reported

White House spokespeople dismissed the catheter claims as a conspiracy theory and highlighted recent medical examinations that described the president as in good or “peak” condition; the White House physician’s April 2025 report has been cited as giving Trump a clean bill of health. News accounts convey that the medical exam referenced routine findings — including a benign polyp and weight change in some reports — but none publicly acknowledged catheter use. Officials’ denials and the published medical summaries create a competing official narrative countering the social-media-driven interpretation of the photos [1] [5].

4. How media and social platforms handled the story — Fact-checking, skepticism, and agendas

Mainstream fact-checkers and news outlets analyzed the images and largely characterized the claim as unproven and speculative, warning readers that visual minutiae can mislead and that echo chambers amplify unverified assertions. Conservative and liberal commentators reacted differently: some used the rumor to challenge or defend the president’s health narrative, while fact-checkers sought to depoliticize the technical question by focusing on evidence quality. Observers flagged that politically motivated actors on both sides may amplify ambiguous visuals for advantage, so readers should consider whether posts aim to inform or to inflame [2] [6] [4].

5. Bottom line and unresolved gaps — What remains unverified and what would settle it

The publicly available images show a feature consistent with a line or bulge in the trousers but do not provide an authenticated close-up or medical confirmation proving catheter use. The White House denial and the physician’s positive health summary counter the claim, but absence of clinical transparency leaves an evidentiary gap. Definitive resolution would require either high-resolution, proximate imagery explicitly showing a catheter or an official medical disclosure confirming device use; absent that, responsible reporting treats the claim as uncorroborated and highlights the distinction between observable visual anomalies and confirmed medical facts [3] [1].

Want to dive deeper?
Are there verified photos showing Donald Trump wearing a catheter bag and when were they taken?
What reputable news outlets have reported on Donald Trump's health and catheter use?
Has Donald Trump or his medical team ever commented on catheter use or urinary issues?
Did any White House or Mar-a-Lago physician release records mentioning a catheter for Donald J. Trump?
Have fact-checkers (AP, Reuters, Snopes) investigated claims about Donald Trump wearing a catheter in 2024?