President Donald Trump turns 80 on Sunday becoming only the second octogenarian to serve in the White House, yet the milestone has produced two competing portraits of the president.

One perspective is from loyal allies who insist he remains uniquely vigorous and another from critics who point to visible signs of aging that come with holding one of the world's most demanding jobs.

Among Trump's supporters, the dominant view is that age has done little to slow him down.

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, told the New York Post on Saturday that Trump has "seemed to utterly defy age," adding, "I don't know where he gets the energy that he displays, but he is up early in the morning and late at night."

Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., said Trump's schedule can be relentless.

"He calls me at sometimes 2 o'clock in the morning," Kennedy said, arguing that "just because you're 80 doesn't mean you're falling apart."

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, 82, offered an even more sweeping assessment, saying, "President Trump, in the Kissinger tradition, has gained in stamina as he has gotten older."

Gingrich added that Trump is "so interested in the wide range of things he is achieving that he has no time to get older."

Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas, the former White House physician and one of Trump's most vocal defenders on health issues, said, "If there's one thing I know about President Trump, it's that nothing slows him down."

The White House has similarly highlighted what press secretary Karoline Leavitt called Trump's "relentless schedule," pointing to weeks filled with meetings, phone calls, media appearances, and international travel.

A recent report from White House physician Dr. Sean Barbabella described Trump as being in "excellent health" and estimated his cardiac age as "approximately 14 years younger than his chronological age."

Yet as those in his inner circle portray Trump as unusually energetic, his public appearances increasingly present the image of an 80-year-old man navigating the pressures of the presidency.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump's hearing has deteriorated, his skin has become more delicate, and he has gained 14 pounds since his previous physical.

Rep. Ryan Zinke, R-Mont., while defending Trump's fitness for office, acknowledged the effects of age and office.

"This job ages you," Zinke said. "His pace isn't as it once was."

To explain the change, Zinke compared Trump to an elite athlete.

"He isn't a 4.1 anymore, he's a 4.3," he said.

"He's still fast compared to every human on Earth."

Recent videos showing Trump with his eyes closed during meetings and events have drawn scrutiny from Democrats.

Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., has become one of the most outspoken critics, saying, "This is not something that's normal, and the White House just has to come clean, explain to American people what is going on."

During a congressional hearing, Lieu played footage from a Cabinet meeting in which Trump appeared to briefly nod off while Secretary of State Marco Rubio was speaking.

"Imagine what he's like when the cameras are not there," Lieu said.

Rubio rejected the suggestion, calling Lieu's concerns "absurd and ridiculous" and insisting Trump "works day and night, long hours, every single day."

The White House has also disputed reports that Trump fell asleep during the NBA Finals, arguing that camera angles created a misleading impression.

Trump himself has at times acknowledged his discomfort with aging.

"It's not a number I like, but I'm here nevertheless," he said this week.

He has also joked about the political consequences of showing weakness, saying, "I'm very careful when I walk, by the way, because if I ever fall that headline will go on for years."

At the same time, he often rejects the idea that age defines him.

"I used to say, 'I'm the youngest in the room,'" Trump said earlier this year.

"Now I'm among the older, I hate to say it. I don't feel old," he said.

The debate surrounding Trump's age echoes the scrutiny that engulfed former President Joe Biden.

But unlike Biden's final years in office, Trump's supporters argue that his schedule, travel, and willingness to take lengthy questions from reporters demonstrate continued vitality.

Critics counter that videos, physical changes, and occasional signs of slowing down reflect the unavoidable realities of an octogenarian presidency.