President Donald Trump is in “excellent” physical and mental health, with the added distinction of scoring 30 on 30 in a cognitive test, his White House physician said after Trump’s first annual physical examination as President.
The test results came against the backdrop of criticism from a host of detractors questioning Trump’s mental fitness and stability, all the more so with the recent publication of an unflattering book that painted him as someone having trouble processing information and recognizing old friends.
“All clinical data indicates that the president is currently very healthy, and that he will remain so for the duration of his presidency... the president’s overall health is excellent,” Navy Rear Admiral Dr Ronny Jackson told reporters.
Faced with a barrage of questions over the President’s mental health at an hour-long briefing, Jackson said: “I have no concerns about his cognitive ability or neurological functions.”
He disclosed that Trump himself volunteered for the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, said to be a well-respected test that can help detect mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer’s disease. And he scored 30 over 30 in this test, Jackson said.
“The president’s overall health is excellent,” said Jackson, who predicted Trump would remain healthy for the duration of his presidency despite a diet heavy on fast food and an exercise regime limited to weekend golf outings.
When asked if he believed the President was “fit for duty”, Jackson said: “Absolutely, he’s fit for duty.” He then went on to say, “I think he will remain fit for duty for the remainder of this term and even for the remainder of another term, if he’s elected.”
“Based on his cardiac assessment, you can make predictions. You can make cardiac calculations, and you can see what his risk of having a cardiac or a cerebrovascular event might be,” he said.
Asked how Trump could have such a good health report despite not exercising or having a good control of what he eats, Jackson commented: “It’s called genetics... He has incredibly good genes and that’s just the way God made him.”
The one issue that the 6-foot-3 president need to work on was his weight which, at 239 pounds, was three pounds heavier than he was in September 2016.