Donald Trump has declared that he has ”never felt better” ahead of his annual physical this week.
The 78-year-old president took to Truth Social Monday to make the announcement, with the medical appointment coming just weeks ahead of his 100th day in office.
“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,” he wrote. “I have never felt better, but nevertheless, these things must be done!”
Trump has previously been cagey about his medical records. When asked about his health in 2015, he provided a four-paragraph letter from his doctor, who claimed he would be the “healthiest person ever elected to the presidency.”
In 2018, White House physician Ronny Jackson provided some details on Trump’s cardiac health. Despite having a normal blood pressure and an all-clear on his heart, Jackson noted that Trumps’ cholesterol was too high and that he was only 0.1 points below the threshold for medical obesity.
Trump is notorious for enjoying some rather unhealthy eating habits. During his first tenure in 2016, POTUS aides shared that the his go-to McDonald’s order consisted of “two Big Macs, two Fillet-O-Fish, and a chocolate malted.”
The physical and mental well being of the presidential candidates became a major issue in the 2024 race.
Trump faced intense scrutiny over his mental competence after he stumbled over his speech and made several incoherent ramblings at campaign trail appearances. Similar questions were raised about 82 year-old Joe Biden, who ultimately dropped out of his re-election bid after facing serious criticism over his debate performance. Among the aging former president’s blunders was accidentally referring to the President of Ukraine as “President Putin” last July.
During the subsequent campaign against Kamala Harris Trump attempted to veer attention away from his health – particularly his cognitive state – by launching attacks on his Democratic opponent.
In September, Trump claimed Harris was “mentally impaired” during a Pennsylvania rally.
At the time the then-presidential candidate insisted, “I’ve done cognitive tests. I’ve done them twice and I aced both of them and the doctor in one case said, ‘I’ve never seen anybody ace them.’ They’ve never seen anybody ace them.”
Biden is currently the oldest U.S. president to have served but Trump will be 82 if he completes a full second term.
