President Donald Trump is gearing up for his annual physical exam at Walter Reed Army Medical Center this Friday, announcing on Truth Social, “I have never felt better, but nevertheless, these things must be done!” While the president promises transparency, it’s worth noting that his recent medical history remains largely a mystery, especially since he vowed to release his medical records during the 2024 election but has yet to do so. So, what could this year’s physical bring? If history is any guide, it could be another round of eyebrow-raising moments.
Trump’s past health reports have been memorable for all the wrong reasons. Back in 2015, his campaign proudly shared a glowing letter from his doctor, Harold Bornstein, full of exaggerated superlatives. According to Bornstein, Trump’s lab results were “astonishingly excellent,” and his physical strength was “extraordinary.” The letter even declared that if Trump were elected, he would be “the healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency”—a statement that was widely ridiculed, especially after Bornstein admitted that Trump had dictated the entire letter.
In 2018, amid growing concerns about his mental state, Trump took a dementia test and scored a perfect 30 out of 30 on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. Dr. Ronny Jackson, who conducted the test, also hyped up Trump’s overall health, predicting that he would be “fit for duty” in a second term. Trump seized on this moment to tout himself as a “very stable genius,” quelling any whispers about his cognitive abilities.
Fast forward to 2019, when Dr. Sean Conley, another of Trump’s physicians, was accused of becoming a “tool of his lies” after he too praised Trump’s health in near-miraculous terms. Conley’s reports continued the trend of over-the-top affirmations, drawing skepticism from many observers who questioned the authenticity of such glowing assessments.
But perhaps the most memorable health moment came in 2020 when Trump, during the pandemic, boasted about his ability to remember a string of words during a cognitive test: “person, woman, man, camera, TV.” While Trump proudly shared this, the bizarre repetition of simple words led to widespread mockery rather than admiration.
With all of this in mind, the upcoming physical exam could be yet another opportunity for Trump to boast about his health—or perhaps, another round of surprising revelations. Whatever the outcome, it’s clear that Trump’s medical assessments will continue to draw plenty of attention and skepticism, especially as he prepares for the 2024 election.
