Here’s Why Donald Trump Works Hard to Conceal His Medical Record From the Public

Donald Trump has gone to extraordinary lengths to project an image of impeccable health throughout his business career and political ambitions. A closer look reveals, however, that Trump has repeatedly worked hard to mask or hide critical details about his physical and mental health. As such, many critics have accused Trump of purposefully concealing information that could undermine the public persona he has carefully crafted over decades.

According to ABC News , Trump views his health as a ‘strength’ and any illness as a ‘weakness.’ During the 2016 campaign, he frequently criticized Hillary Clinton’s ‘stamina’ while bragging about his own genetics and physical strength. He even had his former physician, Dr. Harold Bornstein, write a letter full of dubious superlatives about his health: “If elected, Mr. Trump, I can state unequivocally, will be the healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency.” Bornstein later admitted that Trump ‘dictated that whole letter’ and pressured him to minimize any negative information.

Once in the White House, Trump continued to conceal data about his health by stacking his medical team with loyalists like Dr. Ronny Jackson, who gave Trump’s annual physical exams unusually glowing reviews. Medical experts slammed Jackson’s optimistic pronouncements as unrealistic given Trump’s age, weight, and lifestyle, as per the same report by ABC News. The White House reacted angrily to any criticism of Jackson’s assessments.

Critics saw Trump’s unannounced visit to Walter Reed Hospital in November 2019 as yet another attempt to conceal details about his health, particularly given the White House’s evasive, post-event explanations; it was mostly stated that the ex-President only went for a ‘routine checkup.’ It was only a few years later that the former White House Press Secretary, Stephanie Grisham, seemingly implied in a book that Trump may have undergone a colonoscopy but that he did not want to talk about the matter to avoid authorizing a temporary transfer of powers to his VP, Mike Pence. As per The Hill , she even went on TV to say Trump did not “did not want to be the butt of a joke.”

The lack of transparency was reminiscent of his long-standing practice of using non-disclosure agreements and pressure tactics to keep unflattering information private. According to his niece, Mary Trump, this compulsion for secrecy stems from his pathological aversion to admitting weakness or illness.

As per NPR , Trump’s COVID-19 diagnosis in October 2020 provided the most troubling evidence that he valued projecting strength over telling the truth. He had been criticized for downplaying the disease. “Don’t be afraid of COVID. Don’t let it dominate your life,” Trump said as he announced his departure from the hospital.

With Trump now implying cryptically that health issues may preclude a presidential run in 2024, critics point to his long history of deception and argue that his comments should not be taken at face value, per NBC News . He could be suffering from undisclosed medical issues, or he could be looking for an excuse to avoid launching a second failed campaign after raising massive sums from supporters who expect him to run.