Topline
The White House released the results of President Donald Trump’s recent annual physical exam Sunday morning, which claims the president is “in excellent cognitive and physical health”—and praises his victories on the golf course—as Democrats and other Trump critics have publicly speculated about the 78-year-old’s mental decline.
President Donald Trump and his son Eric Trump drive in a golf cart at Trump National Doral Miami on … More
Key Facts
The White House released a report on Trump’s physical from physician Sean Barbabella, which says the president “remains in excellent health, exhibiting robust cardiac, pulmonary, neurological and general physical function” thanks to his “active lifestyle.”
The report details a number of medical tests and blood tests Trump took at his physical Friday, all of which were normal, though he takes medication to control his cholesterol and rosacea.
As vaccination and vaccine mandates have become increasingly controversial among conservatives, the report also notes “all [Trump’s] recommended vaccinations are current.”
Barbabella said Trump underwent a “comprehensive neurological examination” that “revealed no abnormalities,” as Trump has faced criticism from Democrats and some health experts that his rambling speeches and “bizarre speech” could exhibit signs of dementia.
Trump’s mental acuity was tested using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, which tests for early signs of cognitive impairment, with Trump scoring a 30 out of 30, according to Barbabella.
Trump told reporters before the report was issued that he “did well” on his physical and “felt I was in very good shape” with “a good heart, a good soul, a very good soul,” saying about his cognitive test, “I don’t know what to tell you other than I got every answer right.”
Crucial Quote
Trump’s “active lifestyle continues to contribute significantly to his well-being,” Barbabella wrote. “President Trump’s days include participation in multiple meetings, public appearances, press availability and frequent victories in golf events.”
Who Is Trump’s Doctor Sean Barbabella?
Barbabella is an osteopathic doctor. He was a Navy emergency physician who completed tours of duty in Afghanistan and Iraq was awarded the Legion of Merit and a Purple Heart for his military service, according to his alma mater and the American Osteopathic Association. Prior to his White House appointment, Barbabella previously served as the commander of the Naval Health Clinic in Cherry Point, North Carolina.
Chief Critic
Trump has long denied accusations of his mental decline, bragging about his ability to score highly on cognitive tests and suggesting during the 2024 election he would take a cognitive test alongside then-rival President Joe Biden. The president claimed during the 2024 election that his tangential speeches during campaign rallies were not due to any mental decline—as critics have pointed to rambling speeches as evidence of cognitive impairment—saying he was instead “do[ing] the weave.” “I’ll talk about, like, nine different things that they all come back brilliantly together. And it’s like friends of mine that are like English professors, they say: ‘It’s the most brilliant thing I’ve ever seen,’” Trump said at a Pennsylvania rally. “It’s not rambling. What you do is you get off a subject to mention another little titbit, then you get back on to the subject, and you go through this and you do it for two hours, and you don’t even mispronounce one word.”
Surprising Fact
At 78 years old, Trump is the oldest president to have been inaugurated. (Biden was the oldest president while in office, but he was five months younger than Trump when he was inaugurated.)
Key Background
While Trump’s most recent physical report is the latest in a string of reports proclaiming the president is in good health, his physical exams and reports of them have long been a source of scrutiny—ever since Trump released a report during the 2016 election that proclaimed he would be “the healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency.” Trump’s then-doctor Harold Bornstein later told NBC News in 2016 he wrote that letter in five minutes while Trump’s limo waited outside—saying of his hyperbolic proclamation of Trump being the healthiest president, “I like that sentence … and all the rest of them are either sick or dead”—before later confessing to CNN in 2018 that Trump himself wrote the letter. Trump’s White House physician during his first term, Ronny Jackson, is now a GOP congressman. He was reportedly demoted from his Navy physician job after a 2021 inspector general report accused Jackson of “alcohol-related misconduct”—including “wrecking a government vehicle while intoxicated”—misusing Ambien and creating a “negative work environment,” alleging Jackson “disparaged, belittled, bullied, and humiliated” his subordinates. (Jackson has dismissed the report as being politically motivated against him.)
Further Reading
