A prominent doctor has pressed the White House for answers after President Donald Trump's recent medical examination and subsequent weeklong absence from the public eye. Jonathan Reiner, a professor of medicine at George Washington University and former cardiologist to Dick Cheney, expressed his concerns on social media, urging the administration to provide transparency.
Demand for transparency
“With lingering concerns following the president’s recent physical exam, and the president’s prolonged absence from the public eye, the White House should make available the president’s physician to answer questions from the press,” Reiner wrote on X. Trump, who will turn 80 next month, visited Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on May 26 for his third medical checkup in just over a year. Following a Cabinet meeting the next day, he disappeared from public view, not attending any public or press-accessible events until a week later, when the White House abruptly welcomed reporters to a previously closed executive order signing.
White House downplays concerns
The White House has stated there is no cause for alarm. Trump boasted on social media that his medical results “checked out PERFECTLY.” His physician, Sean Barbabella, wrote in a report that the president “remains in excellent health, demonstrating strong cardiac, pulmonary, neurological and overall physical function.” However, apparent gaps in the report, coupled with Trump’s absence, have intensified concerns over transparency. A group of physicians told The Wall Street Journal that results of several tests—including a coronary CT angiography, echocardiogram, and ultrasound—lacked key details typically included. Dr. William Shutze, a Texas vascular surgeon, noted, “If I was creating a report to send to another physician, I would have mentioned a little bit more about the carotid ultrasound. What amount of plaque there is going to be—because almost all of us are going to have some buildup there.”
Missing medication details
The report also omitted mention of finasteride, a hair loss drug Trump has taken for years, according to The Washington Post. Robert Klitzman, a Columbia University psychiatrist, told the Post, “It raises significant questions of what else is possibly not being revealed,” noting finasteride has been linked to an increased risk of depression. Reiner responded on X, “An incomplete medical report is not a credible report. They can’t pick and choose which data they’re willing to report. What else is missing?”
Broader health concerns
Trump’s health has drawn scrutiny for months, including recurrent bruising on his hands, which the White House attributes to frequent handshaking and daily aspirin use. The report also noted his lower leg swelling had improved. Additionally, the president’s apparent drowsiness during meetings has triggered scrutiny. In May, Reiner told CNN, “The president has severe daytime somnolence. He falls asleep very often. He’s fallen asleep in the Oval Office on multiple occasions with people talking to him, in the cabinet room. And chronic insomnia is a severe illness.” The White House has dismissed these concerns, with spokesperson Davis Ingle stating, “President Trump is the sharpest, most accessible, and energetic president in American history.”
Public opinion
Multiple polls suggest many Americans question Trump’s fitness. A May Ipsos poll found 55 percent of respondents believe he lacks the physical health to serve, while 59 percent say he lacks the necessary mental acuity. The Independent has reached out to the White House for comment.
