Donald Trump is scheduled to get his first physical exam as president tomorrow. Americans are waiting for the results with baited breath, which rivals their waiting for the verdict in the murder trial of O.J. Simpson.
But I find the interest in this exam stupefying. After all, it is self-evident that Trump’s physical shape is almost as bad as his mental state, which, as his daily tweets manifest, meanders between psychotic and demented.
As it happens, psychiatrists have been all over TV recently trying to explain, among other things, his pathological lying, narcissism, xenophobia, and racism. Their explanations have become so fevered, and troubling, that the New York Times felt moved to publish an editorial just yesterday under the headline “Is Mr. Trump Nuts?” It included the following:
Is Donald Trump mentally fit to be president of the United States? It’s an understandable question, and it’s also beside the point. …
We don’t need a medical degree or a psychiatric diagnosis to tell us what is wrong with Mr. Trump. It’s obvious to anyone who listens to him speak, reads his tweets and sees the effects of his behavior — on the presidency, on the nation and its most important institutions, and on the integrity of the global order.
The Times duly noted that the only question Trump’s fitness raises is which will come first:
- Congress will impeach him.
- His Cabinet will declare him unfit.
- Voters will reject him.
Granted, tomorrow’s exam will not include a psychiatric evaluation. But the point is that the Times could easily include very similar language in an editorial about his physical shape under the headline “Is Mr. Trump Fat?”
That said, it would constitute political malpractice – even for Trump’s hapless advisers – if they allow him to take this exam without a clear indication of what the result will be.
Frankly, I suspect they had a reputable doctor perform a private exam recently. Therefore, they probably know full well what to expect.
One of the doctors from the White House Medical Unit who performed Obama’s annual exam will perform Trump’s. And, like Obama, Trump can forbid the release of any result.
This raises the question: Which results will be so embarrassing that he will forbid their release?
Whatever the case, I would bet my life savings that his results will not show that “he’s the healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency.” That you might recall was the laughable assessment his longtime doctor made in a December 2015 letter, which Trump’s campaign could not wait to release.
NOTE: Obama routinely released all vital statistics (e.g., weight and blood pressure), lab results (e.g., cholesterol and PSA numbers), and medications (e.g., vitamins and statins).
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