President Donald Trump told the crowd at his Ohio rally that he has taken Bayer aspirin for decades, then revealed that his doctors have urged him to lower the dose — a suggestion he rejected while claiming he prefers what he described as a “386” milligram pill.
The problem is that Bayer’s commonly sold aspirin tablets come in 81, 325, and 500 milligram strengths — not 386. Trump then described the pill as a “monster” he needs for psychological comfort and claimed that he told his doctors to leave him alone.
Trump’s odd description sent social media into overdrive, with video of the remarks raising questions about what medication and dosage the president was actually talking about.
Previously, Trump said he takes 325 milligrams of aspirin every day, despite doctors advising him to use a lower dose, and has acknowledged that he is “a little superstitious” about continuing the regimen.
This time, however, he gave a dosage that does not match Bayer’s listed aspirin strengths, while describing his long-running habit as something he cannot bring himself to change.
And despite doctors telling Trump to reduce the amount, he has continued taking the larger dose for years.
“I take an aspirin a day. I don’t know if it works, but psychologically I need it,” he said at the Ohio event. “It thins the hell out of your blood, I guess. I don’t know if it works or not but I’ve been doing it for a long time. And here I am making speeches.
Trump, 80, has previously described his daily aspirin use in similar terms, saying he takes 325 milligrams rather than the 81 milligrams often used for preventing cardiovascular problems. Trump made clear that he prefers the larger version.
“I like Bayer aspirin. And I take the big one.” Then came the strange dosage claim: “They want me to go down to the 80. I take the 386. I don’t know what the hell it is. It’s a monster. They said, ‘Sir, you don’t need that!’ I said, ‘ Do me a favor; I’ve been doing OK for 35 years. Leave me alone.”
It was unclear whether Trump had simply misstated the dosage, was referring to another medication, or had just gotten the number wrong.
Trump went on to explain why he does not want to switch to the smaller tablet, saying the reduced dose “is tiny; it doesn’t look right.” He then offered a hypothetical explanation for what he believes could happen if he changed his routine.
“I’ll switch to the little tiny thing, but then something bad will happen, and I’ll say ‘you son of a b—h doctor.’”
Trump previously told The Wall Street Journal that he is “a little superstitious” about his aspirin use and has followed his 325-milligram routine for more than 25 years, according to the Daily Beast.
“They’d rather have me take the smaller one,” Trump told the Journal. “I take the larger one, but I’ve done it for years, and what it does do is it causes bruising.”
“They say aspirin is good for thinning out the blood, and I don’t want thick blood pouring through my heart,” he continued. “I want nice, thin blood pouring through my heart. Does that make sense?”
Trump has also attributed bruising on his hands to his aspirin use. The White House has said his frequent handshaking is responsible for the persistent discoloration.
Trump continues to face intense public scrutiny over his health. Recent episodes have included questions about swollen ankles, speech lapses, and nodding off during public appearances that have fueled speculation online.
A recent video showed Trump briefly recoiling from the roar of a military jet while standing beside Chinese President Xi Jinping. Another appearance prompted discussion after Trump appeared to lose track of the name of Republican New York attorney general candidate Saritha Komatireddy.
Neither episode, by itself, establishes a medical diagnosis, and social-media speculation about dementia or other conditions has gone well beyond what the footage can establish.
Still, Trump’s latest aspirin comments quickly became another opening for critics to question his health and judgment.
“He is admitting to health issues on a stage,” one viewer noted. Another reaction summed up the moment: “This is our president. How sad. And, frightening.”
Others went further, turning the strange dosage claim into a broader judgment about Trump’s fitness for office: “He is literally insane at this point. 25th Amendment!!”
Another commenter attacked Trump head-on.
“He talks about nothing. He’s a vapid, bubble-headed idiot.”
The aspirin discussion came during a rally in southwestern Ohio where Trump was primarily campaigning for Republicans ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections. He defended controversial data centers that power artificial-intelligence projects and said Ohio stood to benefit financially from them.
“Look, there’s so much money to be made for Ohio. You can’t just turn them off. They’ll go to China,” Trump said, according to PBS.
The crowd, which had responded enthusiastically to other portions of his speech, was noticeably quieter during the data-center remarks. The issue has become politically difficult in Ohio and elsewhere as voters raise concerns about electricity prices, farmland and water use.
Trump is making a month-long campaign push as Republicans defend their congressional majorities. Ohio is also central to the battle for Senate control, with Republican Sen. Jon Husted facing former Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown in a race Democrats view as one of their best opportunities to gain a seat.
