PRESIDENT TRUMP'S PHYYSICIAN RELEASES STATEMENT ON HIS RECENT MEDICAL EXAMINATION
Ryan Saavedra
November 19th, 2019
Drew Angerer/Getty Images
President Donald Trump’s physician released a statement on the president’s health on Monday night after the president made a previously unannounced visit to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center last week, which sparked conspiracy theories from some in the media.
“This past Saturday afternoon the President traveled up to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for a routine, planned interim checkup as part of the regular, primary preventative care he receives throughout the year. Due to scheduling uncertainties, the trip was kept off the record,” Sean P. Conley, D.O., wrote in memo. “After a little more than an hour of examination, labs and discussions, the President took a brief tour of the hospital to visit with some of the medical staff as well as speak with the family of a soldier undergoing surgery, after which he returned home to the White House. Despite some of the speculation, the President has not any chest pain, nor was he evaluated or treated for any urgent or acute issues. Specifically, he did not undergo any specialized cardiac or neurologic evaluations.”
Conley continued, “A full summary of his labs and exam will be incorporated into next year’s report, but the President has consented to me sharing that his total cholesterol is now 165 (mg/dL), with an HDL of 70, an LDL of 84 and a non-HDL of 95.”
“Primary preventative medical care is something that occurs continuously throughout the year, it is not just a single annual event,” Conley concluded. “As such, I will continue to monitor the President’s health, planning on a more comprehensive examination after the New Year.”
One of the biggest promoters of conspiracy theories was CNN’s Brian Stelter, who suggested that the White House could be lying about what was going on.
“It is times like these when the White House really needs to have credibility. Times like these when the President suddenly turns up at Walter Reed Military Hospital, sparking concerns about his health and rumors about what’s really going on,” Stelter said. “This was a Saturday afternoon visit to Walter Reed. It was not publicly announced ahead of time, nor was it scheduled in advance, the source tells CNN. So it surprised the press and it also evidently surprised the medical staff. So there are some serious questions here.”
“Trump returned home after a couple of hours. Maybe the White House is telling the truth, the whole truth by saying this was just a routine checkup, just a jumpstart on his annual physical. Now that sounds unusual, but maybe that’s the truth. Maybe Trump is in great shape. Hopefully, that is the case. Hopefully, all as well,” Stelter continued. “But the White House squandered much of its credibility at the very beginning of Trump’s tenure, and hasn’t regained it by any stretch. So we can’t cover these stories like it’s business as usual. This is not business as usual. This is an administration that makes up crowds and draws squiggly lines on maps and tells you not to believe your own eyes and ears.”