WH doctor declares Trump in 'excellent' health, mentally fit for office - politics

President TrumpDonald John TrumpHouse Democrat slams Donald Trump Jr. for ‘serious case of amnesia’ after testimonySkier Lindsey Vonn: I don’t want to represent Trump at OlympicsPoll: 4 in 10 Republicans think senior Trump advisers had improper dealings with RussiaMORE ’s doctor announced Tuesday he is in “excellent” health and fit for office, saying the president himself requested a mental health assessment to dismiss questions about his fitness.

Navy Rear Adm. Dr. Ronny Jackson, Trump’s military physician, led an unusual briefing at the White House where he offered a detailed rundown of the president’s recent physical exam.

“The president's overall health is excellent,” Jackson said. “His cardiac performance during his physical exam was very good, he continues to enjoy the significant, long-term cardiac and overall health benefits that come from a lifetime of abstinence from tobacco and alcohol."

"All data indicates the president is healthy and will remain so for the duration of his presidency," Jackson added.

ADVERTISEMENT

Jackson said Trump could stand to lose 10 to 15 pounds and improve his diet. He also has slightly high cholesterol that's being treated by the drug Crestor.

The president currently "doesn't have a dedicated, defined exercise program," but Jackson said that could "easily change" and added that he's been impressed by the president's stamina in office.

"We talked about diet and exercise a lot, he’s more enthusiastic about the diet part than the exercise part, but we will do both," Jackson said. 

The 6-foot-3-inch, 239-pound president is one pound away from being considered obese under a scale used by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. One reporter asked how Trump could eat so much fast food and drink so much Diet Coke and still receive a good bill of health.

“It’s called genetics, I don’t know, some people have good genes,” Jackson said.

Jackson revealed in detail how Trump requested a mental health evaluation in order to put questions about his fitness to rest.

The doctor said he had not planned to include one because it was not recommended by medical protocol and he had no personal questions about his mental fitness.

“I’ve seen him every day," Jackson said. "I had absolutely no concerns about his cognitive ability or his neurological functions.”

But on the president's urging, Jackson conducted the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, with Trump scoring a 30 out of 30.

That test is not a psychological evaluation but tests for cognitive disorders like Alzheimer's. The evaluation, and Trump's request for the test, comes after Democrats have raised concerns about the president's mental fitness for office.

"I can reliably say, and the folks in the mental health community would back me up on that, that if he had some type of mental cognitive issue that this test is sensitive enough to pick up on that," Jackson said.

Jackson dismissed reports from several mental health experts that have claimed that Trump is showing signs of mental decline. Several specialists have briefed Democratic lawmakers to raise the alarm over Trump’s mental stability, but none of them have examined Trump in person.

The American Psychiatric Association prohibits doctors from diagnosing public figures from afar.

“People shouldn't be making the assessments about the president unless they've had the opportunity to get to know him and examine him,” Jackson said. “In my opinion, that's just tabloid psychiatry. I'm not going to address it or fall into responding to those questions or accusations.”

The president is taking few medications — low doses of Aspirin and Crestor, a cream for rosacea, and a multivitamin. Jackson said he will prescribe a higher level of Crestor for Trump.

Jackson acknowledged that the president takes Propecia, a prescription medicine meant to address male hair loss.

And he sought to put to bed several questions raised by the media over the president’s recent public appearances.

Trump appeared to slur his words in one speech in which he took a break to grab some water.

Jackson said he had given the over-the-counter drug Sudafed to the president for congestion, which gave him dry mouth. The president does not have dentures or partial dentures, his doctor said.

Jonathan Easley contributed.

Updated at 4:22 p.m.