The president’s personal physician, Rear Adm. Ronny Jackson, could hardly have been more impressive and reassuring.
Or more aggravating to the assembled White House press corps.
For a start, Jackson clarified that Trump is in excellent cardiovascular health and "has incredibly good genes." Why does this matter? Because heart disease is one of the top killers of men in Trump’s demographic. The fact that Trump retains a very healthy heart after one year of all the stresses and strains of presidential service is doubly impressive.
Yet, it was the persistent questioning about Trump’s mental health that Jackson handled most effectively. The admiral showed no signs of being pressured into his answers and no doubts in his delivery. Specifically ruling out any pressure or privacy concerns from Trump, he affirmed that the president is in "excellent condition" and "is mentally very sharp." Jackson referenced Trump's 30 out of 30 result on a commonly-applied cognitive test that is used by psychiatrists across the nation to indicate possible mental illness.
What does this mean?
Well, put simply, that Jackson has no qualms clarifying the president as "fit for duty."
Indeed, to the chagrin of much of the press corps, Jackson seemed medically wowed by Trump's health. The former "Apprentice" host, he said, "has as a very unique ability to just get up in the morning and reset." It was amusing to watch as the decorated military officer delivered an intellectually robust and professional performance to a press corps that had hoped he would say Trump was insane. As the limited, mouth-foaming reactions on Twitter now attest, Jackson is beyond reproach for all but the most ardent liberal fanatics.
The admiral's conclusion?
"All clinical data indicates that [Trump] is currently very healthy, and that he will remain so for the duration of his presidency."
