President Donald Trump has said he will have his annual physical examination at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Friday.
“I have never felt better, but nevertheless, these things must be done,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
Sitting presidents normally attend the hospital in Maryland for their annual physical, with the results later released by the White House physician.
Why It Matters
Trump, 78, often claimed that his physical and mental prowess was better than Joe Biden’s, 82, during the 2024 presidential campaign.
Trump will be 82 by the end of his second term, and will overtake Biden as the oldest sitting U.S. president in history.
President Donald Trump speaking in the Oval Office on Monday. Trump has said he will have his annual physical examination at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Friday.
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
What To Know
The physical examination is designed to ensure that the president is medically fit to serve and to maintain public confidence. Not all details of the results are disclosed.
The examination can include blood tests and screening for diseases like cancer and diabetes, as well as checking vital signs such as blood pressure and heart rate.
Trump may undergo cognitive assessments like the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), which is used to detect cognitive impairment or signs of decline.
MoCA can involve being asked to repeat five words immediately, and then asked to repeat them again after some time has passed; identifying animals; and drawing the hands on a clock to indicate a certain time.
Trump requested that he undergo the MoCA during a physical he took in 2018 during his first term, according to Texas Representative Ronny Jackson, who formerly served as Trump’s doctor while he was in office.
The results of Trump’s last physical test while in office were released in June 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. Sean Conley, the president’s physician, said at the time that Trump “remains healthy” and that there had been “no interval change to the president’s medical history.” The examinations were carried out between November 2019 and April 2020.
Trump has released limited information about his health during his presidential campaigns. There were no official medical records released after the president received minor injuries to his ear following the assassination attempt against him when a gunman opened fire at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, last July.
In November 2023, Trump shared a letter from physician Bruce Aronwald who said he had conducted several “comprehensive” examinations on Trump, with the most recent being in September 2023.
Aronwald said Trump’s “overall health is excellent” and that the president had reduced his weight through an “improved diet and continued physical activity.”
In December 2015, Dr. Harold Bornstein, Trump’s personal physician, wrote a letter saying that he would be the “healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency.” Bornstein told CNN in 2018 that the doctor’s note he penned had been dictated to him by Trump.
What People Are Saying
President Trump wrote on Truth Social: “I am pleased to report that my long scheduled Annual Physical Examination will be done at Walter Reed Army Medical Center on Friday of this week. I have never felt better, but nevertheless, these things must be done!”
Trump’s personal physician Bruce Aronwald wrote in a November, 2023 letter: “I am pleased to report that President Trump’s overall health is excellent. His physical exams were well within the normal range and his cognitive exams were exceptional. In addition, his most recent extensive laboratory analysis remains well within normal limits and was even more favorable than prior testing in some of the most significant parameters, most likely secondary to weight reduction. Cardiovascular studies are all normal and cancer screening tests are all negative. President Trump has reduced his weight through an improved diet and continued daily physical activity, while maintaining a rigorous schedule.”
He added: “It is my opinion that President Trump is currently in excellent health, and with his continued interest in preventative health monitoring and maintenance, he will continue to enjoy a healthy active lifestyle for years to come.”
What Happens Next
The White House is expected to release some of the results of Trump’s physical, although the date remains unknown.
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