Trump’s Big Play For Transparency Culminates In ‘Dr. Oz’ Softball Interview

Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

In a much-hyped interview aired Thursday on the daytime television show “Dr. Oz,” Donald Trump made a play to be transparent about his health but used much of his time to boast about his stamina and answer softball questions.

The show, which was taped Wednesday, was the centerpiece of the Trump campaign’s effort to try to be transparent about the GOP nominee’s health after
Hillary Clinton’s campaign announced she had pneumonia. That Sunday announcement, which came two days after Clinton’s actual diagnosis, prompted Trump to promise to release his medical records.

In the zany days since then, Trump’s camp and Dr. Mehmet Oz gave conflicting statements about just what medical information would be unveiled during Trump’s special appearance on the show. The spectacle reached a fever pitch Wednesday afternoon as news outlets scrambled to interview members of the “Dr. Oz” audience about what went down during Trump’s appearance.

In the end, Trump’s big health reveal amounted to the interview with Oz and the release of a one-page letter from his long-time doctor, the same one who wrote last year that Trump “will be the healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency.”

As Oz quizzed Trump on his health routines and medical history, Trump boasted about his clean bill of health.

“I feel as good today as I did when I was thirty,” he said.

Trump said that he does not need much sleep, but he admitted that running for president is more stressful than it is to run the Trump Organization. And when asked how he copes with anger, Trump said he doesn’t “think it matters that much.”

The Republican nominee said those who run for president have an “obligation to be healthy” before bragging that he has “taken off almost no days” from the campaign trail.

“I don’t think you can represent the country properly if you’re not a healthy person,” he said.

Oz first ran through Trump’s medical history and asked the Republican nominee about his family’s health. Trump said that both he and his family have been relatively healthy.

“I haven’t had a cold in a long time — years,” Trump said as Oz had him run through his medical history.

He said that he’s been lucky to have good blood pressure and said he’s experienced fewer allergy symptoms as he has aged. Trump even told Oz that he tries “to stay out of the sun for the most part” when asked if he’s had issues with his skin.

As for Trump’s parents, Trump said his father was “unbelievable” in terms of physical health, although he suffered from Alzheimer’s disease late in life. Trump said his dad’s heart “wouldn’t stop.” Trump said that his mother was “mentally unbelievable,” too.

Trump let Oz review the summary of his recent physical from his gastroenterologist, Dr. Harold Bornstein, as was reported Wednesday after the interview was taped. The Trump campaign then released what appeared to be the same letter on Thursday morning.

Oz ran through the letter during the interview and did not say much of note about the results from the physical.

“If a patient of mine had these records, I’d be really happy,” Oz said.

The TV doctor did tell Trump that he was a little overweight, and Trump said that he would like to lose 15-20 pounds.

“If I had one thing, I’d like to lose weight,” he said.

Trump told Oz that he stays healthy because being on the campaign trail requires him to be active, noting that his rally venues are often hot like “saunas.”

“It’s a lot of work,” he said of his time campaigning. “It’s a pretty healthy act.”

“I guess that’s a form of exercise,” he added.

When Oz asked Trump if he got any exercise other than playing golf, Trump said he doesn’t play much any more but that his game has improved as he’s aged. He then worked in a dig at President Barack Obama.

“The President plays so much golf he could be on the PGA tour,” Trump said.

Latest Livewire
Comments
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Associate Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: