Kamala Harris releases medical records, challenges Trump to do the same

Vice President Kamala Harris released her medical records, stating she is in “excellent health,” and challenged her election opponent, Donald Trump, to do the same.

“Today, I released my medical records, as I believe every presidential candidate except Donald Trump has this election cycle,” Harris told reporters before heading to hurricane-affected North Carolina. She called this a “further example of his lack of transparency.”

By sharing her medical history, Harris’s campaign aligns with a tradition among candidates from both parties, including Trump during his presidency and past campaigns. Although Trump, 78, stated in August that he would “very gladly” release his medical records, he has not fulfilled media requests for this information.

Her physician, Dr. Joshua R. Simmons, confirmed that Harris, 59, has the physical and mental resilience necessary to fulfill presidential duties, noting her blood pressure, blood work, and seasonal allergies. The report highlighted her “very healthy diet” and active lifestyle, stating that her recent physical exam in April was “unremarkable.”

Dr. Simmons also revealed that Harris has been undergoing allergen immunotherapy for three years, which has significantly improved her seasonal allergies, reducing her need for medication to occasional treatments for rhinitis.

Following the release of Harris’s medical information, the Trump campaign pointed out that the former president has provided health updates from his personal physician, including a letter from Ronny Jackson, his former White House physician, after the assassination attempt in July. Campaign spokesman Steven Cheung emphasized that all these assessments concluded Trump is in “perfect and excellent health” to serve as commander in chief, but did not clarify whether Trump would release detailed medical records.

In recent weeks, some Democrats have started raising questions about Trump’s mental acuity, echoing earlier concerns about President Joe Biden’s age. Former Obama communications director Dan Pfeiffer suggested that Trump’s intellectual faculties appear to have declined since his first campaign in 2015, describing him as “incoherent.”

If reelected, Trump would be the oldest person to serve as president, surpassing Biden, who will turn 82 in November.

Last year, Trump released a note from a doctor stating he was in “excellent health,” with normal physical exam results and “exceptional” cognitive test scores, though it lacked supporting data. The campaign's recent statement included a link to that same note.

In 2018, while still in office, a medical report revealed that Trump had a common type of heart disease, manageable with a higher dosage of cholesterol-lowering medication. Subsequent documents showed significant improvement in his cholesterol levels over the next two years. 

During his presidency, Trump’s reported weight often placed him at the low end of the obesity range for his height, though his physician indicated last year that he had lost weight.