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In August, Donald Trump told CBS News that he would “gladly” release updated medical records as the 2024 presidential election approached. At the time, the 2024 GOP nominee reportedly said that he had a “perfect score” on a medical exam.
However, the 78-year-old has yet to do so, with less than two weeks until Election Day.
His opponent, Kamala Harris, has done the opposite.
The White House released a health report this month from Vice President Kamala Harris’ doctor, showing she’s in “excellent health.” The report noted other conditions like “mild myopia” and her family history of colon cancer.
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That means the vice president has nearsightedness, also known as myopia, a condition that causes difficulty seeing distant objects clearly.
Now, critics are arguing that Trump should be transparent about his health “given his advancing age,” in a letter with 238 signatories from health care professionals dated Oct. 13.
“On August 20, Donald Trump said he would ‘very gladly’ release his medical records. In the 55 days since, he has yet to do so,” the medical professionals and doctors said in the letter.
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In the letter, doctors, nurses and health care professionals, most of whom are backing Vice President Kamala Harris, said that presidential candidates have traditionally released their medical records.
The letter was organized by the group “Doctors for Harris”, which is unaffiliated with Harris’ campaign, according to CBS News.
“As the medical professionals explain, Trump, who would be the oldest president in American history, continues to display ‘irrationality’ and ‘irritability,’ “ the Harris campaign said in an email to BDO. “The letter calls on Trump to uphold his promise from two months ago to release his medical records as Vice President Kamala Harris has.”
‘Bizarre’ behavior
The Trump campaign pointed to a recent Pennsylvania rally, where Trump had a 39-minute “bizarre town hall episode.”
“Trump is falling concerningly short of any standard of fitness for office and displaying alarming characteristics of declining acuity,” the letter said. “In the limited opportunities we can examine his behavior, he’s providing a deeply concerning snapshot.”
The letter noted that because he hasn’t disclosed details about his current health, “we are left to extrapolate from public appearances.”
He also allegedly rambled about the fictional character Hannibal Lecter.
“As we all age, we lose sharpness and revert to base instincts,” the doctors wrote. “We are seeing that from Trump, as he uses his rallies and appearances to ramble, meander, and crudely lash out at his many perceived grievances.”
Harris’ health report
Harris recently turned 60. Her campaign views their age difference as a key argument in the presidential race, similar to when Republicans were critical of President Joe Biden’s age and declining mental acuity.
Her health report, outlining details about her lifestyle, was conducted by Dr. Joshua R. Simmons. Dr. Simmons described Harris’ most recent medical exam in April 2024 as “unremarkable.”
Harris “has a medical history notable for seasonal allergies and urticaria,” the letter noted. Urticaria is a common skin condition that can cause itchy, red raised bumps or welts on the skin.
Additionally, Harris has no major health issues and “maintains a healthy, active lifestyle despite her busy schedule,” including daily exercise. According to her doctor, she eats a “very healthy diet,” does not smoke, and drinks “only occasionally and in moderation.”
Harris’ physician added that she “possesses the physical and mental resiliency” to serve as president.
Call for transparency
As for Trump, critics question his physical and mental acuity amid his lack of transparency regarding his health.
The doctors who are calling on Trump to release his medical records argued that U.S. Sen. John McCain, a Republican, released his information about his health in 2008 when he ran for president against Barack Obama.
McCain released around 1,200 pages of his medical records to a group of journalists, providing detailed information about his health, including his history of melanoma and other conditions.
“The American people deserve to have confidence in their elected officials’ mental and physical capacity to do the jobs they’ve elected them to do,” the doctors wrote. “Trump ought to be going above and beyond to provide transparency on his physical health and mental acuity, given his advancing age. In 2008, that is exactly what Senator John McCain did. Trump should be living up to that model.”
Because of the high-stakes election, “voters deserve to know that Trump is up to the job.”
