White House says Trump using preventative skin treatment for neck rash, offers no other details

By Bo Erickson

WASHINGTON, March 4 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump is using a preventative treatment for a red rash on his neck, according to his physician, but the White House declined on Wednesday to share further details about the condition.

A red, blotchy rash was visible on the right side of Trump’s neck just above the collar line in photographs from his appearance at a Medal of Honor ceremony on Monday. 

In a statement after the event, Dr. Sean Barbabella, the White House physician, said Trump was using a common cream as “a preventative skin treatment.”

“The President is using this treatment for one week, and the redness is expected to last for a few weeks,” Barbabella said.

Asked on Wednesday about why the treatment was necessary, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters she had no additional information to share beyond the details provided in the physician’s statement. 

Trump’s health, at age 79, has been more of a focus in his second term, as bruises on his hands and swelling in his legs have been visible at times. 

In January, Trump attributed the hand bruising to his frequent use of aspirin, and the White House said the president hit his hand on a table when traveling abroad.

Last July, after the president’s ankles appeared swollen, the White House physician said an ultrasound on the president’s legs “revealed chronic venous insufficiency, a benign and common condition, particularly in individuals over the age of 70.” 

As he took office for a second term last year, Trump was the oldest U.S. president ever inaugurated, and he frequently compares his health to former Democratic President Joe Biden.

(Reporting by Bo Erickson and Nandita Bose; Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Bill Berkrot)