Trump gets medical opinion from Oz

18 September 2016

Categories: Skepticism , Tags: Politics, Trump

As part of the US presidential election circus, and given that both candidates are two of the oldest candidates ever, health records have become a part of the debate.

In an attempt to allay fears about his health, Donald Trump has appeared on the Dr Oz show to talk about his medical records (opens new window). I can't stress just how ironic this is. Dr Oz is famous for promoting ineffective cures on his TV show, and has even been dragged in front of the senate for being involved in promoting medical scams.

Trump said:

"I think when you're running for president, I think you have an obligation to be healthy. I just don't think you can do the work if you're not healthy."

This claim is refuted by a history of sick presidents:

  • John F. Kennedy - Addison's disease
  • Franklin D. Roosevelt - Polio
  • Woodrow Wilson - Stroke
  • Grover Cleveland - Mouth cancer

Trump's doctor, Harold Bornstein, wrote a letter last year saying that Trump would be "the healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency" - that seems a bit of a stretch!