Donald Trump claimed he is travelling with “more doctors than ever” and has six ambulances on stand-by in case he suffers a medical emergency. During a televised speech at a rally in Bullhead City, Arizona, this week, Trump ranted about the cognitive tests he has “aced”, before claiming anyone in his audience in need of a doctor would be “collateral damage” because his staff are not allowed to leave his side.
Trump's claims about his medical team
Trump claimed at the podium: “Remember, I’m the only one that took the test. I took the aptitude test or whatever the hell they call it. I took it… every time I do a physical, I do a mental test. I’ve aced it.
“Where are my doctors here? I travel with more doctors than I ever did… If people get sick in the audience, they leave them alone. You know what they call them? Collateral damage.
“If that person right over there, a friend of mine… he looks like sh**, actually. He looks like he’s ready to have a heart attack. If he actually had a heart attack, you know what my doctors would do? They’d follow the president. They would leave him alone.
“I would say, ‘Please help him’, and they would say, ‘No, sir, we can’t leave your side’. I’d say, ‘But he’s dying of a heart attack!’ ‘Sir, he’s collateral damage’. Can you believe it? I’ve got like six ambulances and they won’t use one for him!”
CNN analyst disputes the claim
However, CNN medical analyst Dr Jonathan Reiner tweeted after the video went viral: “This is completely untrue, and an actual insult to the fabulous doctors, nurses and PAs of the White House Medical Unit.
“Over the years I’ve been honoured to get to know many members of the WHMU and I know that they would never call a spectator ‘collateral damage’. They would save their life.”
He added: “It’s easy to find examples of people going down in the crowd and Presidents Bush, Obama and Biden calling for help for the spectator.”
Medical concerns continue
It comes as medical concerns for Trump continue to mount. He appeared to forget the name of fellow Republican Bernadette Wilson while speaking in Alaska.
He said of the candidate for governor: “You can defeat the Democrat communists and vote for more money in your pockets, bigger paychecks for your families, much lower taxes, less crime, booming Alaska energy, and no amnesty for illegal aliens.
“So, to do that, all you have to do is vote Republican, vote for the real Dan [Sullivan], vote for Nick [Begich], vote for a very nice female governor.”
