Harold Bornstein Dead: Donald Trump’s Doctor Who Faked Letter Saying He Was In Pristine Shape Dies At 73

Harold Bornstein, the doctor who wrote an effusive letter claiming that Donald Trump was in excellent health but later revealed it was not true, has died at the age of 73.

An obituary published by the New York Times noted that he passed away on Friday.

Bornstein Became Famous During Trump’s Campaign

The New York City-based doctor gained fame during Donald Trump’s first presidential campaign, when the Republican candidate released a glowing note claiming he was in peak health, despite his advanced age and a weight that has bordered on obese.

At the time, Trump was pushing a number of conspiracies about the health of Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, and many called on him to release information about his own condition. What Trump ultimately released was a note signed by Bornstein saying that his “strength and physical stamina are extraordinary.”

But as CNN reported, the physician later admitted that Trump had dictated to him exactly what to write.

“He dictated that whole letter. I didn’t write that letter,” Bornstein told CNN back in 2018. “I just made it up as I went along.”

Many had suspected that the note was faked. A 2016 article from NPR pointed out that it was “written in Trumpian style,” reflecting the Republican candidate’s tendency to refer to things in superlative terms that is often rare in medical writing.

The article noted how Trump and his allies were launching unfounded attacks on Clinton and spreading conspiracy theories that she was in failing health at the same time he was offering what appeared to be a falsified document about his own condition.

The note was the start of a number of questions about Trump’s secrecy around his physical condition, which continued through his time in the White House. As The Inquisitr reported, many questioned the findings of his annual physicals — especially one that claimed he was just shy of being listed as obese — and the reasons behind a rushed trip to Walter Reed hospital in 2019. The White House explained that he was conducting parts of his annual physical, an explanation that many critics have questioned.

Bornstein Worked In New York City For Decades

Before he gained fame as Trump’s personal doctor, Bornstein had a prestigious background. As his obituary noted, he was a graduate of Tufts University and later Tufts Medical School, eventually returning to Manhattan to go into practice with his father. The obituary noted that he devoted his life to the practice of medicine, which he “regarded as a sacred privilege.”

“His devotion to his patients was unparalleled and he continued a traditional style of personal medicine, making house calls and holding the hands of those in need until the end,” it read. “As a lifelong learner, he often spent nights under a lamp reading and annotating Italian language literature. Dr. Bornstein was a force of nature who brought joy to his family, friends and everyone he encountered in life, and continues to do so in memory.”

Bornstein will be laid to rest at a private service for friends and family.