White House attributes redness on Trump's neck to skin cream but doesn't say what it's treating

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House on Monday attributed a large red spot on President Donald Trump's neck to a skin cream he is using, without elaborating on what condition it is treating.

The redness drew widespread attention Monday, when news photographers captured close-up images of the president's neck during a Medal of Honor ceremony in the East Room of the White House.

“President Trump is using a very common cream on the right side of his neck, which is a preventative skin treatment, prescribed by the White House Doctor,” Sean Barbabella, the president's doctor, said in a statement. “The President is using this treatment for one week, and the redness is expected to last for a few weeks.”

The White House did not immediately respond to follow-up questions, such as what the cream is, when Trump began the treatment and what condition it is supposed to prevent. Zoomed-in photos from at least as far back as the Board of Peace meeting at the U.S. Institute of Peace on Feb. 19 show visible redness on the president’s neck.

The president's medical report from his April 2025 physical noted that he was taking mometasone cream “as needed” for an unspecified skin condition.

Trump, 79, became the oldest president to have taken the oath of office when he was sworn in last January. In particular because of his advanced age, Trump's health is closely scrutinized.

Barbabella said in December that Trump had MRI imaging on his heart and abdomen in October as part of preventive screening for men his age, with the results being “perfectly normal.” That October physical at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center found that Trump is in overall “exceptional health," according to Barbabella.

Redness is visible on the neck of President Donald as he attends a Board of Peace meeting at the U.S. Institute of Peace, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Redness is visible on the neck of President Donald Trump waves as he walks to depart on Marine One from the South Lawn of the White House, Friday, Feb. 27, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Redness is seen on the neck of President Donald Trump as he delivers the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress in the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

President Donald Trump departs after a Medal of Honor ceremony in the East Room of the White House, Monday, March 2, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

President Donald Trump speaks during a Medal of Honor ceremony in the East Room of the White House, Monday, March 2, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

President Donald Trump departs after a Medal of Honor ceremony in the East Room of the White House, Monday, March 2, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

President Donald Trump leaves following a Medal of Honor ceremony at the White House, Monday, March 2, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court seemed likely Monday to loosen a federal law that bars marijuana users from owning guns in a case that crossed typical political lines.

A majority of justices appeared to lean toward a narrow ruling in favor of a Texas man who argued he shouldn’t have been charged with a crime just because he owned a gun and smoked marijuana a few times a week.

The Trump administration asked the high court to revive a criminal case against Ali Danial Hemani under a law that bans all illegal drug users from owning guns. But both liberal and conservative justices seemed skeptical.

“What is the government's evidence that using marijuana a couple of times a week makes someone dangerous?” said conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett.

The Trump administration has asked the court to strike down other gun control laws in the past, but Principal Deputy Solicitor General Sarah Harris defended the illegal drug user law as a reasonable measure to keep firearms from potentially dangerous people. The law was also used in the case of Hunter Biden, who was convicted of buying a gun when he was addicted to cocaine.

Justice Neil Gorsuch, though, pointed out that a growing number of states have legalized cannabis, though it remains illegal on a federal level. “What do we do with the fact that marijuana is sort of illegal and sort of isn’t, and that the federal government itself is conflicted on this?” Justice Neil Gorsuch said.

He was part of the conservative majority that expanded gun rights with a landmark case in 2022 known as New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen. The court said that any gun laws must have a strong grounding in the nation’s historical traditions.

Liberal-leaning Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson said a ban on firearms for cannabis users didn't seem to have the required historical roots. “I think your argument sort of falls apart under the Bruen test,” she said.

The government pointed to historical laws that barred “habitual drunkards” from having guns, calling that clear historical evidence in favor of the law. But Gorsuch said that alcohol was more common in the nation's early days, including hard cider with breakfast for John Adams and a daily pint of whiskey for James Madison. “Are they all habitual drunkards who would be properly disarmed for life under your theory?” he said.

An attorney for Hemani, Erin Murphy, said those laws were for extreme cases and modern cannabis users aren't necessarily comparable. They regularly take gummies as sleep aids, for example, can also be quite capable of handling firearms safely, she argued.

The case made for some unusual political alliances. The American Civil Liberties Union and the National Rifle Association both supported Hemani’s case, as did cannabis legalization groups like NORML. On the other side were gun-safety groups like Everytown that usually oppose the Trump administration on Second Amendment issues.

Some justices, however, appeared concerned that a ruling for Hemani could allow more weapon possession by people who use more dangerous drugs, like methamphetamine or heroin. Moving away from the current ban could require courts to frequently make in-depth considerations about the level of dangerousness presented by a given substance.

“It just seems to me that this takes a fairly cavalier approach to the necessary consideration of expertise and the judgments we leave to Congress and the executive branch,” Chief Justice John Roberts said.

It's the second gun case the court is hearing this term in the wake of its 2022 decision. In the other, the justices appeared likely to strike down a Hawaii law restricting guns in stores and hotels.

The court is expected to decide the case by the end of June.

FILE - The Supreme Court is photographed, Feb. 6, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul, File)