Donald Trump: US President's health under scrutiny following New York visit

Donald Trump is facing new questions regarding his health after footage of the President appearing unsteady and uncoordinated raised suggestions of illness on social media. 

While making an appearance at West Point military academy in New York, the US President was filmed walking cautiously down a shallow slope, his eyes remaining fixed on his feet. 

After his unsteady descent began circulating on social media, Trump, who is celebrating his 74th birthday, dismissed concerns with a disdainful Twitter response.

"The ramp that I descended after my West Point commencement speech was very long and steep, had no handrail and, most importantly, was very slippery. The last thing I was going to do is 'fall' for the Fake News to have fun with. Final ten feet I ran down to level ground. Momentum!" he wrote.

However, Trump was also captured struggling to raise a glass of water to his mouth while presenting a speech during his West Point visit.

While standing at the lectern, the President used his other hand to steady the glass and push it towards his mouth after noticeably struggling to take a sip. 

"This is a persistent neurological sign that, combined with others, would be concerning enough to require a brain scan," Bandy Lee, a Yale University psychiatrist, tweeted.

Trump's presidency has been dogged by rumours of ill health. Shortly after his inauguration in January 2017, Trump raised concerns when he walked unevenly down a gentle slope at the White House and took former British Prime Minister Theresa May clumsily by the hand.

Lee also recalled the President's unscheduled visit to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in November last year, acknowledging his "uneven gait" and "forward-leaning posture".

Trump's health came under scrutiny following the secretive hospital trip, despite the White House releasing a statement that the President had undergone a "routine", "interim checkup" that was kept covert due to "scheduling uncertainties".