President Donald Trump asked the White House doctor to perform a cognitive exam during his physical last week, despite the doctor’s determination that such testing wasn’t necessary.
“I have no concerns about his cognitive ability,” Dr. Ronny Jackson told reporters on Tuesday.
He said the testing was conducted at the President’s wishes, and the results were normal.
Ahead of the exam, the White House said that tests for mental acuity would not be included. The question arose after a week of speculation about Trump’s mental fitness for office, spurred by the publication of a damaging book that suggested Trump’s own aides worry about his stability.
Later, Trump attempted to clarify matters by tweeting he was a “very stable genius.”
Jackson told reporters Trump scored 30/30 on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, which according to its website is a “cognitive screening test designed to assist Health Professionals in the detection of mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease.”
The doctor deemed Trump in “excellent health” last Friday and provided details of the President’s medical exam during a briefing on Tuesday.
Trump weighs 239 pounds, the White House physician said on Tuesday. Standing at 6 feet 3 inches, Trump falls just within the “overweight” range on the body mass index.
Trump and his doctor discussed his diet and exercise during last week’s physical and set a goal of losing 10-15 pounds.
“He would benefit from a diet that is lower in fat and carbohydrates,” Jackson told reporters at the White House.
Jackson said Trump’s resting heart rate was 68 and blood pressure was 122/74.
The President himself decided what to make public, in accordance with medical privacy rules. He’s been unwilling in the past to disclose information that candidates and presidents typically reveal, such as his tax returns. But during the 2016 campaign he did authorize his personal doctor to release some medical information.
Dr. Harold Bornstein’s summary included Trump’s height (6 feet 3 inches) and weight (236 pounds), cholesterol (HDL 63, LDL 94, triglycerides 61), blood pressure (116/70), blood sugar (99) and normal results from liver, thyroid, heart and colon exams.
He also said Trump took Crestor, a cholesterol-lowering statin; a low dose of aspirin to prevent heart attacks; antibiotics to treat skin rosacea; and Propecia for baldness.
Jackson performed the yearly physical Friday at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland.
On Friday evening, the White House released a statement from Jackson — who also performed President Barack Obama’s last presidential physical — that indicated the exam went “exceptionally well” and described Trump’s health as “excellent.”
Past presidential physicals have also included lifestyle details like diet and exercise routines. Trump isn’t known to exercise beyond short walks, and he uses a cart when he plays golf.
His diet isn’t known to have changed from the high-calorie dishes he has favored in the past: well-done steak with ketchup, meatloaf, hamburgers, vanilla ice cream, salads with blue cheese dressing and chocolate cake. He does, however, avoid tobacco and alcohol.
