A simple Instagram post about presidential ankles has somehow managed to wreak havoc on the internet, and, frankly, no one saw this coming.
Content creator Corey Marshall-Steele responded to an avalanche of follower requests by creating what might be the most unexpected political comparison of 2025: a side-by-side look at the ankles of America’s most prominent political figures.
Marshall-Steele’s video shows Obama walking through the White House with normal-looking ankles beneath his suit, followed by Joe Biden looking similarly trim and Kamala Harris in a Spelman-blue suit with tan shoes, her ankles appearing equally well-proportioned.
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The stark contrast becomes obvious when the camera focuses on Trump’s visibly swollen ankles, creating a comparison that has his 36,000 Instagram followers buzzing with commentary.
The irony runs deep here, considering Trump’s previous jabs at Biden’s physical appearance. During a 2023 Tucker Carlson interview, Trump mocked Biden’s legs, claiming “You watch him and it looks like he’s walking on toothpicks” and adding “I think he looks terrible on the beach. He can’t walk through the sand.”
Trump brutally ROASTS Joe Biden, predicts he won't make it to 2024:
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) August 24, 2023
"It looks like he's walking on toothpicks and then you see him at the beach where he can't lift a chair!… Somebody in there thinks he looks fabulous at the beach. I think he looks HORRIBLE at the beach!" 🤣 pic.twitter.com/WzOBXTpzlA
Those comments have aged particularly poorly, given recent revelations about Trump’s own leg issues.
Medical reports confirm that Trump underwent evaluation by the White House medical unit after experiencing mild swelling in his lower legs starting in July 2025.
According to PBS, his physician, Captain Sean Barbabella, diagnosed chronic venous insufficiency, a condition where leg veins struggle to pump blood back to the heart effectively. This causes blood to pool in the lower extremities, creating swelling and discomfort. While the Navy vet described the condition as “benign and common” for people over 70, comprehensive testing ruled out serious complications like blood clots or arterial disease.
The ankle scrutiny intensified after a July 31 press conference where Trump appeared to stumble slightly while exiting the stage, prompting public speculation about his health.
What started as an unfortunate medical condition for the senior citizen has evolved into full-blown social media entertainment, with Marshall-Steele’s followers crafting increasingly creative commentary about the president’s swollen extremities on his Instagram account.
“I can’t decide what’s funnier the ankles or the accuracy! How long did this masterpiece take to create?” one follower commented on Marshall-Steele’s post, perfectly capturing the bewildered amusement that has driven the video viral.
The creativity didn’t stop there.
Another user on his account joking, “His legs have been hit with inflation,” while someone else coined the term “Canklesaurus Rex” for the president.
The ankle discussion inevitably led to broader physical comparisons among Marshall-Steele’s Instagram followers, with one commenter noting, “Small hands, enormous cankles.”
This reference traces back to Marco Rubio’s 2016 campaign attack when he questioned Trump’s hand size.
FLASHBACK
— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) October 22, 2024
Marco Rubio on Trump: “He's like 6'2, which is why I don't understand why his hands are the size of someone who is 5'2. And you know what they say about men with small hands?…”
(2016) pic.twitter.com/RFgyVlqpyD
Now a Trumpian, serving as the president’s Secretary of State, Rubio’s taunt revived an old Spy magazine insult from the 1980s in which a profile writer called Trump a “short-fingered vulgarian.”
Trump’s defensive March 2016 debate response, where he held up his hands and insisted there was “no problem,” remains a memorable political moment.
“He got them good ole cankles,” added another user on Marshall-Steele’s account, demonstrating how the ankle comparison has tapped into a rich vein of internet humor.
The medical term “cankles” describes thicker ankles that appear continuous with the calf, often resulting from swelling caused by various factors including inactivity, certain medications, pregnancy, or underlying health conditions. Some people simply have larger ankles due to genetics.
Beyond the entertainment value, chronic venous insufficiency affects many Americans, particularly those over 70. Treatment typically involves lifestyle modifications like regular exercise, leg elevation, wearing compression stockings, and maintaining healthy weight. While not life-threatening, the condition can cause significant discomfort and requires ongoing management.
The ankles comparison inadvertently highlights broader contrasts between Obama and Trump.
After news hit about his condition, one Threads user wrote some photos with the caption, “Obama’s ankles, just because.”
But why stop at ankles? There are a lot of things people can compare between the two.
Obama’s final 36 months saw 8.1 million jobs added versus 6.6 million during Trump’s first 36 months of his first term, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Real wage growth averaged 1.3 percent annually under Obama from 2014-2016, compared to 0.8 percent under Trump from 2017-2019, The Hill reported in 2018.
Obama’s cultural influence extends beyond politics, with his memoir “A Promised Land” selling 887,000 copies on day one and 1.7 million in one week, making history for the most sales for Crown Publishing, according to The Associated Press, dwarfing Trump’s “Crippled America” debut.
The president’s memoir actually crippled in sales, selling only 27,687 copies in its first week, according to CNBC.
Marshall-Steele’s viral ankle video proves that in today’s social media landscape, even the most mundane physical attributes can become unexpected political commentary or comedy for critics, transforming a routine malady into a cultural moment that captures public fascination.
