Trump dictated report to doctor
Donald Trump dictated a letter which stated he had ‘‘astonishingly excellent’’ health during the US presidential election campaign, his former doctor has claimed.
Harold Bornstein, Trump’s longtime personal doctor, said he made up the glowing bill of health on the president’s orders. ‘‘He dictated that whole letter. I didn’t write that letter,’’ Bornstein told CNN.
With his long flowing hair and large glasses, the medic became a colourful character in Trump’s 2016 campaign for the presidency.
The December 2015 letter issued under his name declared Trump would be ‘‘the healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency’’.
‘‘Mr Trump has had a recent com- plete medical examination that showed only positive results,’’ said the letter.
‘‘Actually, his blood pressure, 110/65, and laboratory results were astonishingly excellent. His physical strength and stamina are extraordinary’’.
It went on to state: ‘‘If elected, Mr Trump, I can state unequivocally, will be the healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency’’.
At the time Bornstein was widely ridiculed for the assessment, with sceptics pointing out it was eerily similar to Trump’s manner of speaking, but he insisted he had written it himself. But in a series of media interviews on Wednesday, Bornstein claimed Trump read out the language as he and his wife were driving across Central Park. ‘‘[Trump] dictated the letter and I would tell him what he couldn’t put in there,’’ he said.
Bornstein, who was Trump’s personal doctor for more than 30 years, also claimed the president’s bodyguard took possession of his medical records in an episode that felt like a ‘‘raid’’.
Keith Schiller, the president’s bodyguard and former director of Oval Office operations, showed up at the doctor’s office along with two other men to collect the records, he said.
Bornstein said that Schiller and another ‘‘large man’’ were in his office for about 30 minutes and ‘‘created a lot of chaos’’.
The February 2017 incident left him feeling ‘‘raped, frightened and sad’’, he told NBC News.
Sarah Sanders, the White House press secretary, disputed the doctor’s characterisation of the episode, saying that was ‘‘not my understanding’’.
‘‘As is standard operating procedure for a new president, the White House Medical Unit took possession of the president’s medical records,’’ she told reporters at a White House briefing.
Bornstein has been something of a thorn in Trump’s side with loose-lipped remarks to the media since he entered office.
Last year he told the New York Times that the president takes a small dose of a prostate-related drug to stimulate hair growth. He also told the newspaper that he prescribed Trump drugs for rosacea and cholesterol.
The seizing of Trump’s medical records came two days after the story was published.
Bornstein told NBC that Trump’s personal secretary called him after the story ran and said: ‘‘So you wanted to be the White House doctor? Forget it, you’re out.’’ – Telegraph Group