Former President Donald Trump took to a rally stage in Coralville, Iowa, to boast about his health, claiming to be in superior shape compared to his predecessor, Barack Obama. At this event, Trump veered from criticizing President Joe Biden’s mental sharpness to praising his own health status, claiming that he outshone Obama in the health department.
Trump, in his characteristic style, proudly declared his recent medical exam results as exceptional, even asserting that he excelled in a cognitive test. Referencing Texas Republican Representative Ronny Jackson, the former White House physician known for his unwavering admiration of Trump, the former President recalled that Jackson deemed him healthier than Obama.
He said:
“He was my doctor. He was Obama’s doctor, too, by the way. I said, ‘Who’s healthier?’ He said, ‘Sir, there’s no contest.’"
"I won’t tell you the answer, but you know the answer, OK? It was me.”
“He said ‘You’re the healthiest guy.' He said, ‘If he didn’t eat junk food, he’d live to 200 years old.’ That’s my kind of a doctor.”
You can hear Trump's remarks in the video below.
Trump has in the past referred to himself as a "perfect physical specimen," offering yet another example of his braggadocio when it comes to his health and physical prowess.
He once declared during a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) that Jackson "loved looking at my body." He claimed Jackson told him he was "the healthiest President that ever lived" and Jackson noted his body was "so strong and powerful."
Jackson has been a largely controversial figure since his days as the White House doctor. During a January 2018 press briefing, Jackson vouched for Trump's health, saying his neurological functions are excellent and assuring the press corps he would be able to serve his entire term.
Jackson was widely mocked after adding Trump likely had "incredible genes" that allowed him to remain healthy despite a lack of exercise and a taste for fast food.
Trump's latest remarks exposed him to significant criticism.
Trump has previously been criticized for bragging about acing an "intelligence test" that was actually the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), a widely used screening assessment for detecting cognitive impairment.
MoCA was designed to assess different cognitive domains, including attention and concentration, executive functions, memory, language, visuoconstructional skills, conceptual thinking, calculations, and orientation.
The assessment's questions are simple and ask test subjects to demonstrate if they can remember five words. Cohen stressed that it is unimpressive that Trump can remember five words—namely “person, woman, man, camera, TV”—as Trump demonstrated at one point on live television.
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