Donald Trump was caught taking another slow walk all by himself as no aide, nor First Lady Melania, came to his rescue.
Trump appeared to be alone when he stepped off Air Force One following a recent trip to Houston, Texas, earlier this week.
Footage of Trump’s arrival at the base hit the internet, prompting social media detectives to zoom in on something unrelated to why he was there.
This came just days after critics dissected his slow walk and his attempt to close his “enormous” suit jacket.
While in Texas, Trump attended a private fundraiser that night for Ken Paxton’s Senate campaign, then a NASA ceremony the following morning.
But people are still talking about the roughly 20 seconds it took Trump to get from the aircraft door to the tarmac.
In the footage, posted by the Houston Chronicle, Trump struggles with his suit jacket again.
As he emerged, Trump tried to button the coat before giving up and leaving it open, exposing his recent weight gain despite doctors’ advice.
The POTUS looks down at the small gap between the plane and the platform before stepping across. He reaches for the handrail for support and misses, then reaches a second time to grab it.
In another extended clip, Trump carefully watched his steps as he walked down before suddenly coming to a standstill.
Trump waves to what appears to be a dozen people watching his arrival before heading to his vehicle.
Online comment sections under both posts were lit up with strong thoughts and opinions.
“Grabbing the jacket to button it, only to realize it wouldn’t, is killing me,” one person wrote.
More focused on his behavior, one person noted, “Sleepy dony could barely make it down the stairs.”
Some observers noticed that Trump “counted those stairs,” adding the narrative that he ” can’t even walk right. His congestive heart failure must be causing his ankles to swell up like ham hocks.”
Eagle-eyed users suggested he gave himself a pep talk to make it down, saying, “Don’t look up. Keep counting. Okay. You made it. Tap that leg. Tap. Tap.”
The comments under the extended video IG post were harsher, to say the least. Others weren’t looking at Trump at all. They were counting heads on the tarmac.
Elsewhere, one user went a different direction on the same crowd, who chanted “USA” as he walked down the steps. Many said the rather small group looked more like “paid actors [that] showed up to take pictures.”
The crowd’s reaction also drew scrutiny beyond the chants. That skepticism comes as Trump faces separate questions about his health.
It’s been over a year since his physician, Dr. Sean Barbabella, diagnosed him with chronic venous insufficiency in July 2025. The condition caused the president to display swelling in his lower legs.
WATCH: President Trump pumps his fist as chants of "USA" break out on the tarmac during his arrival in Houston.
— JFK Pascal Najadi (USSF)🇺🇸 (@PASCALNAJADII11) August 28, 2026
The president is in town for a private event tonight after touching down in Texas. pic.twitter.com/XvUVwLmHlm
Barbabella described it as benign and common in people over 70, and said testing found no deep vein thrombosis, no arterial disease and normal cardiac function, per CBS News.
Trump’s most recent physical was in May at Walter Reed. His doctors reported the leg swelling had improved.
Per summaries of the report, doctors advised Trump to lose weight, a message that resurfaced this week after Jelly Roll guest-hosted “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”
The country rapper used his own 300-pound weight loss to needle the president about his weight.
Yet Trump keeps insisting he’s in perfect health.
“See, I look so thin. They’ll say, oh, he’s gotten so thin, because I’m holding this,” he told reporters, while holding mockup images of his Reflecting Pool.
He warned, “You don’t have to look at my waist, you can look at this.”
Trump begs reporters for compliments about his weight:
— FactPost (@factpostnews) May 19, 2026
"See, I look so thin. They'll say, oh, he's gotten so thin, because I'm holding this. You don't have to look at my waist, you can look at this." pic.twitter.com/QNrO2AEnkR
Physicians who’ve reviewed the disclosures have also flagged his regular aspirin use, which they say explains the recurring bruising on his hands, according to the NPR.
The fundraiser in Houston was the actual reason for the trip. Trump appeared for Paxton as the attorney general fights a tight Senate race against Democrat James Talarico.
Early voting is under two months away and Republican ad spending for Paxton has since overtaken his opponent’s for the first time.
