Breaking: Donald Trump is really old and in poor health

Hey, look at what the NYT’s op-ed page (gift link) is highlighting today, in the form of a piece by Dick Cheney’s cardiologist:

Despite reassurances from the White House to the contrary, at times over the past year, the president has not looked well. I am not Mr. Trump’s doctor, and have only reviewed his records that have been made public. But Mr. Trump is probably the most photographed president in American history, and a variety of physical ailments are easy to see. He’s had large bruises on both hands, swelling in his legs and episodes when it appears that he is struggling to stay awake. He’s also had advanced imaging performed for unclear reasons. The public is again left to wonder whether the nation’s leader is OK.

As Jonathan Reiner points out, there’s a long history of White House doctors covering up the extent of presidential medical problems — a history that was pretty much guaranteed to get worse when the Wisdom of the People began to manifest in the form of electing eightysomething presidents. (I was discussing the absurdity of doing this seven years ago, but nobody listened, just like they didn’t listen to Jesus.)

Asking whether somebody in their eighties is “healthy” is basically a nonsensical question: Of course they’re not healthy! I mean they might be healthy for somebody in their eighties but that’s a gigantic caveat, as apparently we need to learn on a recurring basis.

Back to the main feature. Dr. Reiner notes that the 25th amendment gives Congress the power to create a commission to oversee presidential health, and make recommendations to the vice president regarding whether the president should be removed from office (a power currently residing in the cabinet, which is a stupid arrangement for all sorts of reasons). Why might that be relevant to the reign of Donald Trump, the healthiest man ever to serve as president? Dr. Reiner provides a list:

1. Dr. Barbabella’s recent report states that the president was evaluated by 22 consultants, an extraordinary number of specialists for even the most extensive executive health evaluation. Why were so many physicians summoned, and what were their specialties?

2. Mr. Trump often shows prominent bruising on his hands, which the White House attributes to frequent handshaking and frequent use of aspirin. Trauma from handshaking has never seemed plausible, and it doesn’t explain why the president’s left hand is often similarly discolored. Also, why would the president take a dose of aspirin four times as high as the dose typically recommended by doctors?

3. Swelling in the president’s legs last summer led to an unscheduled medical evaluation. The president’s physician described the problem as “chronic venous insufficiency,” a condition common in older people, that results from leaky valves in the veins of the legs. It usually develops gradually over a long period. But during Mr. Trump’s comprehensive physical examination just a few months earlier, Dr. Barbabella documented no swelling in the president’s legs. If that’s true, his swelling would be by definition acute, not chronic. Acute leg swelling is a potentially much more consequential finding that can be caused by issues such as heart and kidney disease. What’s the reason for this discrepancy?

4. The president often appears to struggle to stay awake, signs of a condition doctors refer to as excessive daytime somnolence. This problem, which is sometimes evident during Oval Office events, was not addressed in the report after Mr. Trump’s comprehensive physical exam in May. Although the president is a renowned night owl, his sleepiness seems relatively new. There are several possible causes for the president’s symptoms, some of which could have serious complications if left untreated. Has the president’s medical team identified the source of this issue? And how are they addressing it?

5. In October 2025, Mr. Trump underwent advanced imaging of his heart and abdomen at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. The president’s physician offered a vague description of the reason for the tests: “to identify issues early, confirm overall health and ensure he maintains long-term vitality and function.” He said the tests did not reveal any abnormalities. Was there a specific symptom or clinical event that prompted this testing?

6. Past Trump medical reports have disclosed the president’s use of the drug finasteride, which prevents hair loss. The drug was not mentioned in the report after Mr. Trump’s most recent medical examination. In response to a query from The Washington Post about its absence, the White House responded, “The current report reflects all medications deemed clinically relevant to disclose at this time.” It does not matter, in any material way, if the president is or isn’t taking a hair-loss drug. The more important question is, what medications prescribed for Mr. Trump, if any, has the White House decided to withhold from the public?

7. The president has spoken about how well he performs on cognitive testing. However, the exam that Mr. Trump describes, the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, is a brief and basic screening tool, with simple questions (draw a clock, identify a camel), often performed in response to a concern from the patient or a member of the family. Why has the president undergone this test numerous times, and have there been more sophisticated neurocognitive assessments performed?

In regard to that last one, if you’re being tested for dementia but you think you’re being given a very challenging general intelligence test, not a bunch of questions that a three-year-old could answer, that just might possibly indicate that you’re suffering from [Fill in the blank. Hint: answer is ironic.]