Trump to undergo three-and-a-half-hour medical exam
Donald Trump will enjoy no “executive time” on Friday, according to his schedule, and will instead face more than three hours of prodding and poking as he undergoes an extensive physical exam.
The 72-year-old Republican will travel to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Centre in Bethesda, Maryland, beginning his annual check-up at 12.45pm and departing at 4.25pm.
Last year he was declared to be in “excellent health” with his then-personal physician, Dr Ronny Jackson, telling reporters Mr Trump had “incredibly good genes”.
Famously, the president does not drink alcohol or smoke. However, he is a great fan of fast food, and following his physical in 2018 doctors raised fears for his heart health.
Mr Trump’s appreciation for the speedier varieties of “great American food” was on display during the government shutdown in January, when he served up a McDonald’s- and pizza-laden buffet for college football players at the White House.
His examination this year will be overseen by US Navy veteran and osteopath Dr Sean Conley, who will coordinate a team of doctors to conduct various tests.
Last year, Americans learned details of Mr Trump’s weight, height, blood pressure, heart rate and cholesterol levels. Doctors also checked his eyes, ears, nose, throat, lungs, gastrointestinal tract, skin and teeth.
He also underwent cognitive, neurological and stress tests.
The annual physical exam is not mandated by law but modern presidents recieve them regularly, using a doctor’s report to reassure the public they are fit to carry out the demands of office.
In 2018 his former personal doctor Harold Bornstein claimed Mr Trump had in fact dictated a letter he made public in 2015 declaring that the then-candidate would be ”the healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency”.
It was not the only controversy to surround Mr Trump’s health during and after his presidential campaign; he was given a deferment on being drafted into the military during the Vietnam war over bone spurs in his heels, which his political opponents have played on heavily in recent years.
Additional reporting by AP
