The doctors of the former president have frequently presented exaggerated or unverifiable statements in their reports on his well-being.
Former President Donald J. Trump shared a complimentary yet vague health assessment from his doctor on Monday, asserting that Mr. Trump is in «excellent» health and has recently shed pounds through an «improved diet» and «daily physical activity.»
Dr. Bruce Aronwald, Mr. Trump’s physician, authored the single-page report more than two months after the 77-year-old underwent a «comprehensive» health examination in September, according to the document.
In August, during an intake process at Fulton County Jail for one of the four criminal cases he faces, Mr. Trump reported a weight of 215 pounds, nearly 30 pounds less than the White House doctor reported in 2020.
However, Monday’s report omitted basic details such as Mr. Trump’s weight, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, prescriptions, or the amount of weight lost. Dr. Aronwald instead stated that Mr. Trump’s «physical exams were well within the normal range, and his cognitive exams were exceptional.»
The Trump campaign did not promptly respond to inquiries about specific details regarding Mr. Trump’s health.
The timing of the report seemed to be a dig at President Biden on his 81st birthday. While Mr. Trump has consistently ridiculed Mr. Biden’s age, he has also experienced verbal missteps on the campaign trail.
Mr. Trump’s doctors, a diverse group of personal and White House physicians, have previously released memos and reports with scant details about his health, featuring hyperbolic claims and descriptions of his condition as «excellent.»
Dr. Harold Bornstein, Mr. Trump’s longtime personal physician, declared in late 2015 that Mr. Trump would be «the healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency.» Later, he revealed that Mr. Trump was taking medication for various ailments, including a prostate-related drug to promote hair growth.
Dr. Ronny L. Jackson, a White House physician for Mr. Trump, suggested in 2018 that with a better diet, Mr. Trump could have lived to be 200 years old. Another White House physician, Dr. Sean P. Conley, repeatedly provided misleading information about the severity of Mr. Trump’s illness after he contracted Covid in 2020.
President Biden, in contrast, has undergone detailed annual physical exams, with his latest report in February spanning five pages and noting specific ailments like arthritis and the range of tests taken to detect neurological disorders.
Concerns about age and health have been touchy subjects for both Mr. Biden and Mr. Trump, each potentially surpassing 80 years by the end of a term in 2029. Despite such concerns, both leaders have dismissed them, asserting their capability to serve another four years in the Oval Office. In a notable episode, Mr. Trump repeatedly boasted on television about acing a cognitive test, using it as evidence of his mental sharpness compared to Mr. Biden during the 2020 election.
