Between his unpleasant arrival in Davos, Switzerland, and being roasted for his latest rambling speech rambling, Donald Trump has quite the week and people are not done.
The 79-year-old president will likely claim he was betrayed by a cameraman after images of him with world leaders at the World Economic Forum went viral, showing what his pants refuse to hide..
The U.S. commander in chief’s cankles were front and center at the Jan. 21 meetings, where he tried to project the authority of Trump’s America over the rest of the world. Instead, the visuals began telling a different story when he sat down with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte onstage.
While sitting in his chair, the former reality star’s pants legs crept upward, exposing his noticeably swollen ankles bulging over the tops of his shoes.
The images lingered throughout the day as his ankles appeared again on the World Economic Forum stage during meetings with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi and Swiss President Guy Parmelin.
OUR HERO OF THE DAY IS….
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. He confronted Trump to his face about the lies he’s told about NATO. Rutte reminded Trump that soldiers from NATO nations fought and died alongside U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan.
Your thoughts? pic.twitter.com/a5VMOKlR0L
— Lovable Liberal and his Old English sheepdog (@DougWahl1) January 22, 2026
The Daily Beast suggested the swelling could have been caused by the 7.5-hour flight from Washington, D.C., to Zurich. The outlet’s readers chimed in, mocking Trump.
One commenter observed, “Man those things are approaching tree trunk size. His calves have to be huge.”
Another added, “No one could believe the size of his ankles, it’s like nothing ever seen before. The only surprise is that his lapdogs aren’t padding their own ankles to ape him.”
A different observer wrote, “Just guessing, but his calves might actually be smaller than the cankles.”
One jabbed at his fitness habits, which seem to be limited to leisurely playing golf: “When you ride around in a cart and your caddie drops the ball 12 inches from the hole… That’s not exercise.”
The swelling in Trump’s feet has been widely noticed for months, but some believe “They might pop soon.”
The POTUS’ physical wellness has been an issue since he was elected for his second presidency, particularly since he has a history of mocking others’ health and is the oldest man to ever assume the executive office.
The White House has previously acknowledged that Trump has chronic venous insufficiency, a circulatory condition common among seniors. A difficult journey to Switzerland — including a forced return to Washington due to an electrical issue on Air Force One and a delayed overnight departure — likely didn’t help.
Upon arrival, cameras caught Trump gripping the handrails at the top of the aircraft stairs, pausing briefly as if bracing himself before beginning the descent. Later footage showed him moving slowly along the red carpet in Davos, drifting slightly off course and nearly stepping into the snow before correcting himself.
The visible effort, heavy breathing, and familiar forward lean that have defined many of his 2026 appearances fueled renewed attention on his stamina.
HE HAS NO FRIENDS!
When Trump arrived in Davos today there was no one there to greet him. No world leaders, no delegation, no band, no pomp-and-circumstances. He was all alone.
And still MAGA believes we have never been more respected on the world stage.
Your thoughts? pic.twitter.com/769qmZJg9C
— Lovable Liberal and his Old English sheepdog (@DougWahl1) January 21, 2026
Scrutiny around Trump’s cankles and feet has turned into a running joke online, with social media users treating the images like a recurring bit. Side-by-side photos placing his ankles next to those of Joe Biden or Vladimir Putin are shared for laughs, with commenters letting the visual contrast do the heavy lifting.
He has often been accused of wearing special footwear, even “Frankenstein shoes,” to cover the swelling that appears to make his shoes turn over.
Trump’s September 2025 appearance at the Ryder Cup golf tournament alongside granddaughter, Kai Trump, was the first time the public noticed he had changed his footwear from black dress shoes to a $300 pair of gleaming white spiked golf shoes, designed to provide “stability and support from the moment you step foot onto the course.”
This time, critics noted that real footage from Davos just drew more attention to his bloated ankles.
Still, the nitpicking hasn’t stopped. Despite how strong and brashly Donald Trump presents himself on the international stage, the world is seeing something else. Slouched posture that suggests instability, rambling remarks in which he confused Greenland with Iceland, and cankles that appear whenever he sits have combined into an image that undercuts the dominance he works so hard to project.
For a president who trades so heavily on strength, the visuals are telling a story neither he or his White House lackeys can control.
Great Job Nicole Duncan-Smith & the Team @ Atlanta Black Star Source link for sharing this story.
