Kamala Harris to Release Medical Report Confident in Her Fitness for Presidency
Washington: Democratic White House candidate Kamala Harris will release a medical report on Saturday confirming her fitness to be president, her campaign said, aiming to put pressure on rival Donald Trump to publish his own health records.
Resiliency Required
An adviser to Harris’s 59-year-old campaign said the report would conclude: "She possesses the physical and mental resiliency required to successfully execute the duties of the presidency."
Aiming for the Spotlight
The US vice-president’s team aims to put the spotlight on the physical health and mental acuity of 78-year-old former president Trump, who has so far refused to release any detailed medical information.
A Difference in Experience
Republican Trump became the oldest presidential nominee in US history after 81-year-old President Joe Biden withdrew from the White House race in July. Biden passed the torch to Harris after a disastrous debate against Trump raised concerns in the Democratic Party about his own mental sharpness.
Trump’s Refusal to Release Health Records
Trump’s apparent vitality means that his age has not so far weighed against his chances in the polls, in a knife-edge battle with Harris in the Nov 5 presidential election. However, Harris’s campaign drew attention to a recent series of articles in the New York Times that raised concerns about the fact that Trump had failed to disclose basic information about his health.
Language Analysis
The newspaper also published an analysis of Trump’s language showing that his speeches are increasingly long, "confused" and vulgar, which it said were seen by experts as a possible sign of cognitive change. Trump insists he is fully fit, but he has not released any full medical report for his campaign.
Limited Information
In late 2023, Trump released a note from his former White House doctor declaring him to be in "excellent" health, but it was short on details and did not say what tests Trump had undergone when he had a physical in September 2023. The same doctor, Ronny Jackson, issued a statement in July after Trump’s ear was wounded by an assassin’s bullet at a rally in Pennsylvania, saying the former president was doing well.
Cognitive Test
Trump meanwhile boasted about a cognitive test he underwent with Jackson while president in 2018 — but then immediately flubbed his doctor’s name, calling him "Ronny Johnson".
Consequences of Election
If Trump wins the election in November, he will be 82 at the end of his second term in the Oval Office.
FAQs
- When is Kamala Harris releasing her medical report?
She is releasing it on Saturday. - Why is Trump not releasing his medical records?
Trump has refused to release detailed information about his health. - Is Trump fit to serve as president?
Trump insists he is fully fit, but there is limited information available. - What does Harris’s medical report say?
The report concludes that Harris possesses the physical and mental resiliency required to successfully execute the duties of the presidency.