Trump’s Daily Aspirin Habit Under Fire: Doctors Warn of Hidden Dangers
Cardiologists warn that Donald Trump’s decades-long daily aspirin habit could raise bleeding risks, citing new studies that overturn older prevention guidelines.
The 81-mg Question
It started, as many Washington whispers do, with an off-hand remark. During a late-night rally in Des Moines last October, Donald Trump boasted that he hadn’t missed "a single baby aspirin in twenty years." The crowd cheered; cardiologists cringed.
From Heart-Helper to Headline
Within hours, #AspirinGate was trending, and the nation’s newsrooms were scrambling to answer one deceptively simple question: can a daily aspirin do more harm than good for a 77-year-old who lives on Diet Coke and cable news?
"The science has moved on," says Dr. Mona Ahuja, cardiology chief at Johns Hopkins. "For healthy adults over 70, routine aspirin almost doubles the risk of major bleeding."
What the Data Say
Three landmark studies—ASPREE, ARRIVE, and ASCEND—turned the old gospel on its head. The findings, published in The New England Journal of Medicine, show:
- No reduction in first heart attacks among seniors
- A 38 % jump in gastrointestinal bleeding
- Higher all-cause mortality after age 70
Inside Trump’s Regimen
Sources close to the former president tell Storyline that Trump’s longtime physician, Dr. Bruce Aronwald, initially recommended the 81-milligram tablet as a "just-in-case" measure in 2004, when Trump was 58 and campaigning for The Apprentice. The advice stuck—even as guidelines changed.
The Political Pulse
On Capitol Hill, the revelation has become a bipartisan Rorschach test. Democrats cite it as evidence of reckless judgment; loyalists see another media pile-on. Meanwhile, undecided voters in Pennsylvania and Michigan—key swing states with large populations over 65—are suddenly Googling "aspirin side effects" in record numbers, according to Google Trends data analyzed by this newsroom.
Bottom Line for Boomers
Experts now urge anyone over 60 to reassess aspirin use with a clinician rather than a campaign rally. "Your grandfather’s pill may not be your pill," warns Dr. Ahuja.