A former White House physician to three presidents has raised doubts that the current administration is being truthful over Donald Trump’s health.
Jeffrey Kuhlman, who was physician to Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama, questioned details regarding Trump’s recent visit to Walter Reed Military Medical Center.
The president, 79, told reporters on Air Force One last week that he had an MRI scan at the facility, as well as cognitive testing.
Highlights
- Former White House physician Jeffrey Kuhlman expressed doubts about the truthfulness of Trump's reported health status and tests at Walter Reed.
- Trump, 79, underwent an MRI and cognitive testing, but details and reasons for the MRI scan remain undisclosed.
- Photos show bruising on Trump’s hands and swelling of his ankles, with the White House citing handshakes and chronic venous insufficiency as causes.
Jeffrey Kuhlman commented on Donald Trump’s recent tests
Image credits: White House
He also appeared to confuse the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), which is designed to detect early dementia, with a test to measure IQ.
While Trump did not disclose why he had undergone an MRI scan, he said that doctors had given him “perfect” results.
October’s visit to Walter Reed was the second time this year that Trump attended the facility for testing.
White House physician Sean Barbabella said Trump is in “excellent overall health.”
However, Kuhlman, author of Transforming Presidential Healthcare, suggested to The Hill that the timeline given by Barbabella doesn’t add up.
“It’s about an eight-minute helicopter ride from the South Lawn to Walter Reed. So we know that he at least had four hours available to undergo medical care,” Kuhlman said.
Image credits: Jeffrey Kuhlman
“There’s a disconnect there.”
Kuhlman said the only thing he couldn’t do at the White House doctor’s office was advanced imaging, but other testing and preventive health screening could be done in 15 minutes.
The most recent testing comes amid renewed concerns for Trump’s health, fueled by bruising on his hands and the president mixing things up when giving statements.
Several photographs show bruising on Trump’s hand had been covered up by makeup, with the official White House explanation being that the marks are caused by handshaking and aspirin.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed earlier this year that Trump’s swollen ankles were caused by chronic venous insufficiency (CVI), a condition common in people over the age of 70.
But with no official reason given for Trump’s MRI, speculation surrounding his health continues to rise.
There are concerns about Trump’s health, fueled by bruising on his hands and the president mixing up things when giving statements
Image credits: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Jacob Appel, a psychiatry professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and a presidential health historian, told The Hill that releasing such information should be given in context.
“I think if you’re going to release some information, you want to release enough information that the public at least can put it into context,” Appel said. “If you’re going to say that you’re having an MRI, we should know what the MRI is for.”
“We don’t know what the MRI was for, because the president hasn’t even told us what body part was [scanned] … an MRI could be something to check for a cognitive issue.
“It could be something to check for a heart issue. It could be the president twisted an ankle and they’re afraid that he has a bone fracture. So it could be almost anything,” he added.
Trump is the oldest person to be elected president, and will be 82 years old at the end of his term.