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WASHINGTON — WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump is scheduled to undergo his annual physical examination on Friday, potentially providing the first health information to the public in several years. Trump, who became the oldest person in U.S. history to be inaugurated as president in January, shared on social media, “I have never felt better, but nevertheless, these things must be done!”
While Trump has often scrutinized the physical and mental fitness of his political rival, Joe Biden, he has been less forthcoming about his own health records, opting for a level of secrecy that contradicts the tradition of transparency typically expected from U.S. presidents.
Historically, Trump’s health assessments have yielded generally positive reports with minimal detail. His upcoming physical will take place at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, and it represents the initial public overview of his health since an assassination attempt against him occurred in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July.
In the wake of that episode, Trump did not release detailed medical information. Instead, Rep. Ronny Jackson, who served as his White House physician and is a vocal supporter, issued a memo characterizing a gunshot wound to Trump’s right ear.
During an interview with CBS the following August, Trump expressed a willingness to share his medical records but ultimately did not follow through.
Although Trump is younger than Biden by three years, he notably surpassed Biden’s age during Biden’s inauguration in 2021, which allowed Trump to reclaim the title of the oldest president upon his re-inauguration.
Before Jackson’s memo, the public had not received significant health updates about Trump since November 2023, when Dr. Bruce A. Aronwald issued a statement coinciding with Biden’s 81st birthday, proclaiming Trump to be in “excellent” physical and mental condition.
This letter, posted on Trump’s social media platform, lacked specific information regarding weight, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels, among other health metrics. Instead, Aronwald noted that Trump’s physical and cognitive exams were “well within the normal range,” mentioning a reduction in weight.
Previously, in 2020, Trump received treatment at Walter Reed after contracting a significant case of the coronavirus. At that time, his physician provided an optimistic assessment of his condition; however, White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows later revealed that some of Trump’s vital signs were “very concerning.”
Subsequently, it became evident that Trump had experienced a more serious illness than he publicly acknowledged. During this period, he opted for a pre-recorded remote evaluation and interview on Fox News Channel, which was conducted by Dr. Marc Siegel, a medical contributor who had previously raised doubts about Hillary Clinton’s physical fitness for office.
In November 2019, a physical check-up Trump attended at Walter Reed was not disclosed in advance, deviating from standard White House protocols. The appointment was revealed only after the fact, with Trump later describing it as a “ very routine physical.”
This incident marked a break from the typical transparency expected from the presidential office. Following the examination, the then-personal physician, U.S. Navy Cmdr. Sean Conley, stated that the visit had been a “planned interim checkup” obscured by scheduling complexities.
One of Trump’s more memorable exchanges regarding his health occurred in July 2020, when he flippantly enumerated “Person. Woman. Man. Camera. TV” as part of a cognitive test he claimed to have excelled at, which he believed showcased his mental acuity.
This demonstration aimed to highlight his cognitive fitness in a manner that garnered significant attention from the media and public alike.
Source
abcnews.go.com