From Swollen Ankles to Diplomatic Fallout: This Week From The Swamp

This week The Swamp rounds up a mix of medical advice, metropolitan oddities and diplomatic drama from Washington, D.C.

Vein Conference Puts Chronic Venous Insufficiency in the Spotlight

At a vein specialists' conference near the White House, Dr. Sanjiv Lakhanpal, founder of the Center for Vein Restoration, used the moment to offer pointed advice to President Trump, 79, after the president's chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) was publicly disclosed. Dr. Lakhanpal urged the president to reconsider daily habits that can worsen CVI, including inconsistent use of compression socks, poor sleep and a sedentary lifestyle.

Compression socks improve circulation, reduce swelling and lower the risk of blood clots, Lakhanpal told The Swamp. He also recommended weight management and regular activity as complementary measures.

The doctor noted that while compression hosiery can be unpopular with patients, consistent use helps symptoms. Lakhanpal also flagged a cycle common among CVI patients: poor sleep leads to missed exercise, which exacerbates venous disease. He referenced the president's publicly reported weight history — 239 pounds in 2018, 244 in 2020 and 224 last April — and Trump’s comment to the New York Times that he "probably" should consider weight medication (often referred to in media as GLP-1 drugs).

Founder and CEO of Center for Vein Restoration Dr. Sanjiv Lakhanpal / Supplied

Physicians at the meeting also acknowledged that the high-profile diagnosis has raised public awareness of CVI, a condition that often receives limited attention.

National Guard Turned Runway

In a lighter-but-controversial moment, four National Guard members were filmed walking on a U Street Metro platform in camouflage, a clip that circulated widely online. The footage prompted divided reaction: some viewers found the scene harmless and humanizing for troops on a long assignment, while others called it tone-deaf given other national enforcement priorities.

The deployment — ordered by the White House and framed as a law-and-order mission — has been costly. Reports estimate the operation has exceeded $1 million per day. Trump’s formal order extends the deployment at least through February 28, 2026, even though a federal judge found the deployment unlawful; that ruling is currently stayed pending appeal.

Trump's heavyweight spokesman, Steven Cheung, has been busted as a GLP-1user by none other than his own boss. / Aaron Schwartz/Getty Images

Kevin Rudd’s Shortened Washington Tenure

Kevin Rudd’s ambassadorship to Washington ended a year earlier than planned. The former Australian prime minister had long criticized President Trump in public, calling him a "village idiot" and a "traitor to the West," comments which complicated his posting. After strained interactions in diplomatic settings, Rudd accepted a return to the Asia Society Policy Institute as CEO and President, a role he previously held.

White House Communications and Other Notes

Steven Cheung, the White House head of communications and a former UFC publicist, was referenced by the president in a Jan. 8 press briefing as someone who may be trying GLP-1 medication to lose weight — an anecdote that drew attention to the overlap of politics, personal branding and health narratives.

Luxury Real Estate Update

On the real estate front, former Washington Capitals star Nicklas Backstrom accepted a reported offer of $11.99 million on a McLean mansion that had listed for $14.99 million. Backstrom bought the property in 2021 for $8 million and has returned to Sweden following injury and hip surgery.

Taken together, the week’s items — from swollen ankles to bored guards and diplomatic recalibrations — underscore the odd mix of the symbolic and the substantive that defines D.C. reporting right now.