Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to release her medical records Saturday, and her campaign will press former President Donald Trump to do the same and share his health information.
A senior aide has indicated that the forthcoming report will highlight Harris's physical and mental resilience, reinforcing her capability to serve as president at the age of 59, Reuters reported. The move will underscore ongoing concerns about health and fitness for office among candidates, particularly for the 78-year-old Trump.
Harris "possesses the physical and mental resiliency required to successfully execute the duties of the Presidency, to include those as Chief Executive, Head of State and Commander in Chief," said the aide.
It remains unclear how comprehensive Harris's medical records will be, but her campaign sees the release as a chance to shift the focus onto the physical health and mental sharpness of her opponent. If Trump wins the election he will become the oldest president ever in American history.
Trump's increasingly disjointed and perplexing campaign speeches have triggered concern about his mental faculties.
Harris's advisers believe they can draw a contrast between her age and Trump's as they challenge him to provide more up-to-date information about his health.
Age was a key concern for voters when President Joe Biden, who is 81, was running for reelection. His withdrawal from the race in July created an opportunity for Democrats to take a more aggressive approach in emphasizing age issues they had previously avoided discussing.
There is limited information available about Harris's medical history. She did not disclose the results of her physical examination during her 2020 vice presidential campaign. In April 2022, she contracted COVID-19 and used the antiviral medication Paxlovid for her recovery, testing negative about a week after her initial positive test. Additionally, in July 2021, she visited Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for what the White House referred to as a routine doctor's appointment.
In an interview with CBS News on August 20, Trump stated that he recently completed his annual physical and expressed his willingness to share the results "very gladly." He also mentioned that he has taken two cognitive tests, which he claimed to have "aced." However, his campaign has not yet made those results public.
Trump has repeatedly boasted of his results on a cognitive test while he was in the White House. But the Montreal Cognitive Assessment he took was not a measurement of intelligence, but a test to determine signs of dementia or other cognitive impairment, and required him to do simple tasks, like identify a drawing of a camel.
In November 2023, Trump shared a letter from his osteopathic physician, Bruce Aronwald, stating that Trump's most recent comprehensive examination took place in September 2023. The letter declared that Trump's "overall health is excellent," noting that his "physical exams were well within the normal range" and that his "cognitive exams were exceptional." However, it lacked specific details, such as Trump's vital signs or any medications he might be taking.
In recent years, it has become common for presidential candidates to share information regarding their health and ability to serve, a trend influenced by several presidents who had serious health issues that emerged only after they took office.
