If he is elected and finishes his term, Trump would be the oldest person to ever serve as president, but he has refused to release his medical records, despite promising that he would. In addition to his age, Trump was hospitalized with a COVID-19 infection in 2020, and he failed to release medical information on his health following the July 13 attempt on his life.
On Saturday, Harris’ physician Dr. Joshua Simmons (a U.S. Army colonel) released a statement on her medical status. Simmons noted, “Vice President Harris remains in excellent health,” adding, “She possesses the physical and medical resiliency required to successfully execute the duties of the Presidency.”
Asked about Trump’s failure to disclose his information, House Speaker Mike Johnson provided cover for Trump’s obfuscation, saying on “Meet the Press” that Trump’s medical status was “irrelevant” to voters.
But independent, outside evaluations of Trump’s behavior have raised concerns.
Discussing his Sept. 10 debate with Harris, Trump claimed that an audience “went crazy” for his performance, but there was no in-studio audience for the debate. The New York Times noted that the statement was just one of many recent incidents that Trump “has seemed confused, forgetful, incoherent or disconnected from reality.”
The paper analyzed Trump’s current speeches and compared them with his performance in 2016. They found that he speaks for nearly twice the amount of time on average (82 minutes in 2024 versus 45 minutes in 2016) and that he has significantly increased his usage of “all-or-nothing terms,” which “some experts consider a sign of advancing age.”
Trump also complained recently that “nobody” knows “what the hell a phone app is,” despite that 96% of Americans own a smartphone, which has become a staple of modern life, including for millions of older Americans.
Despite the signs of possible decline, Trump’s issues have been given short shrift by many mainstream media outlets. These same outlets heavily covered issues surrounding President Joe Biden’s age before he ended his reelection bid.
Very early on Monday, Trump lashed out at Harris’ criticism, writing on his Truth Social account, “I believe it is very important that Kamala Harris pass a test on Cognitive Stamina and Agility. Her actions have led many to believe that there could be something very wrong with her.”
Trump’s allies on the conservative Fox News Channel were also upset that issues about his health are a topic of conversation. Kayleigh McEnany, Trump’s former press secretary who is now a Fox News contributor, complained on Monday’s “Fox & Friends” that talking about the issue is “crazy.”
If Trump were to win and pass away while in office, the presidency would be inherited by Ohio Sen. JD Vance, who has an extensive history of misogynistic comments and hostility to immigrants and women.
