Doctor declares Trump ‘is mentally very sharp’

WASHINGTON – A White House doctor pronounced President Trump medically fit to serve as commander in chief Tuesday and said he easily passed a voluntary cognitive assessment designed to test his mental reflexes.

“The president’s overall health is excellent,” Ronny Jackson said in a briefing at the White House, days after completing Trump’s first physical examination as president.

Jackson said the 71-year-old, 239pound president could use more exercise and a better diet that is lower in fat and carbohydrates. Trump, who eats junk food and avoids exercise beyond golf, is overweight. Jackson said they set a “reasonable goal” of losing 10 to 15 pounds in the coming year and developing a regular fitness routine.

“He’s more enthusiastic about the diet part than the exercise part,” Jackson said.

Trump, who gained 3 pounds since his physical in 2016, takes a drug to reduce his cholesterol, and Jackson said he may increase the dosage. The doctor said Trump does not use tobacco or alcohol, one of the reasons he is in good health generally.

The president’s yearly physical at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center — Trump’s took place Friday — is a routine practice.

Jackson said he “initially had no intention” of including a test of the president’s mental fitness in his first annual physical and stressed that he had “absolutely no concerns about his cognitive ability or neurological functions.” Such exams are not usually part of presidential physicals.

At the president’s request, Jackson did an assessment to screen for any cognitive impairment such as Alzheimer’s, and Trump got a perfect score.

“The president is mentally very sharp,” Jackson said.

Opponents questioned Trump’s mental health this month after a tweet in which he said he has a bigger nuclear button than North Korea’s Kim Jong Un. In Fire and Fury, a book about the White House, anonymous sources questioned the president’s stability.

Asked how Trump could stay healthy on a diet that includes McDonald’s and Diet Cokes, Jackson said, “It’s called genetics — I don’t know.”

Jackson estimated that Trump gets four to five hours of sleep a night: “He doesn’t sleep much.”

CAROLYN KASTER/AP White House physician Ronny Jackson pronounced President Trump’s health “excellent” after a physical examination Friday.