Donald Trump’s recent arrival at the Palm Beach International Airport sparked widespread online speculation. The President had landed after attending a rally in northeastern North Carolina, and a video from the moment quickly went viral on the internet.
Netizens took to social media to raise concerns about the President’s health after noticing him tapping his foot. A simple gesture from the 79-year-old was enough to set the internet abuzz.
Multiple cameras captured Trump disembarking from Air Force One onto the tarmac. A clip taken on December 20 gained significant traction, particularly among critics, due to one simple detail.
The video, initially posted on Threads and then shared on X (formerly known as Twitter), shows the President subtly tapping his right foot several times before beginning his descent down the stairs.
President Trump exited Air Force One tonight in West Palm Beach. He is headed to Mar-a-Lago.
. pic.twitter.com/Z4vBY8qobw
— Paul Villarreal (AKA Vince Manfeld) (@AureliusStoic1) December 20, 2025
The motion might otherwise seem insignificant, but not when it comes to the President of the United States. For months now, there has been speculation that the 79-year-old’s health is on the decline.
Taking that into consideration, the video clip only fueled further concern among social media users. “Trump can barely walk!!!” a viral comment on the footage read.
“There he goes. Slapping that leg to make sure he can feel it so he can get down the stairs. But he’s in better shape and health than Obama,” one user noted in the comments section.
Several others claimed that the President was “always slapping that leg.” “It appears that his right hand was twitching, too,” another added.
“No control of his right arm?” a second chimed in. “Patting his leg? The other day he patted his front right hip area after he walked away from the podium… something is definitely up,” one comment read.
“Trump can barely walk,” another user claimed. One particular netizen mocked Trump while pointing out that it looked like the President was “scared” of stairs.
Tapping that leg to make sure it works going down 😅
— FakeAssLawyer⚖️📚 (@Sarafina_2018) December 21, 2025
However, this isn’t the first time the tapping gesture has been caught on camera. A clip of the President posted by Fox News last month showed Trump making a similar gesture during his arrival in Florida.
In the older clip, he could be seen tapping his right leg in rapid succession right before taking the steps.
Meanwhile, another detail that became a talking point in the latest video was how the clip seemingly showed another person getting in the backseat of the Beast car with the Republican President.
Usually, the car is used by Trump alone or when First Lady Melania Trump accompanies him. “Unusual to see someone in the beast with him,” one user pointed out.
Unusual to see someone in the beast with him
— 2028DT (@npr40) December 20, 2025
Trump’s leg tapping has led some to believe that there could be a possibility of neuropathy, circulation problems, or nerve pain issue involved that is being kept under wraps.
Another possibility pointed out by social media users is that the President was tapping his leg in order to “wake up” after it had gone numb.
