Dem
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GOP
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It was inevitable and, sure enough, it happened. Kamala Harris released her medical records Saturday and challenged Donald Trump to release his. Her report was written by Col. Joshua Simmons of the White House military office. It says the 59-year-old Harris is healthy although she has seasonal allergies and a mild skin condition (urticaria). She is also nearsighted and uses contact lenses that correct her vision to 20-20.
Harris takes a vitamin D3 supplement, and sometimes uses a nasal spray and eye drops. Her diet is "very healthy" and she does not smoke and uses alcohol only occasionally and in moderation. She also does annual mammograms and is up to date on colonoscopies.
Simmons also noted that Harris' mother's family has a history of colon cancer. What Harris doesn't have is also notable. She does not have diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, cardiac disease, pulmonary disease, neurological disorders, cancer or osteoporosis. The doctor's summary was: "She possesses the physical and mental resiliency required to successfully execute the duties of the Presidency." CNN's chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, was more impressed by all the things Harris does not have than what she does have and agreed she is "fit for duty."
In the end, this is something of an empty gesture. When was the last time a candidate issued a health report that said: "Yeah, they just aren't up to the job," or even "If you elect them, it MIGHT work out, but keep your fingers crossed!" Sometimes, a clean bill of health is truthful. We tend to suspect that's the case here, but we make that guess only because Harris is fairly young and looks to be fit. Sometimes, a clean bill of health involves a bit of carefully crafted spin. And sometimes, a clean bill of health is an outright lie, or close to it.
So, the real consequence of issuing a health report is not to tell the American people that their president or wannabe president is hale and hearty. Every health report says that. No, the real consequence is that it puts pressure on the OTHER candidate to talk about THEIR health. If the opponent leans old and/or infirm, that is a ball they would rather not have in their court. Think, for example, John McCain in 2008, whose hard life as a POW and age raised legitimate questions about his fitness to handle the world's toughest job (and recall, despite not being subjected to the rigors of the presidency, he died shortly after a hypothetical second term would have ended).
In other words, it is now Trump's turn. When he was president, his then-doctor, now-Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-TX) wrote a letter so glowing and absurd that almost every doctor who was asked about it guessed that Trump probably wrote it himself. Last year, Trump posted a letter from his current doctor, Bruce Aronwald, stating that his overall health is excellent. He has not released an actual medical report this year, despite the fact that if elected, he would be the oldest president ever, and his verbal stumbles of late suggest he may have cognitive issues. Given Trump's age and tendency to ramble incoherently, Harris will no doubt hammer on his unwillingness to be examined by a neutral doctor who is given advance permission to release the entire report on what he finds after examining Trump. (V)