Harris uses her medical report to ask questions about Trump: NPR

Vice President Harris answers questions from reporters at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, Oct. 12, 2024.

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Vice President Harris released a medical report on Saturday – a document her campaign used to draw a contrast with her older rival – and called on former President Donald Trump to do the same.

This is the first time Harris, 59, has released physical exam results. Similar to reports from previous commanders in chief, the two-page letter said Harris was in excellent health and “possesses the physical and mental resilience necessary to successfully discharge the duties of the president.”

Harris told reporters traveling with her that every presidential candidate has released medical information “except Donald Trump in this election cycle.”

“It is clear to me that he and his team do not want the American people to really see what he is doing and whether he is actually fit to take on the job of president of the United States,” she said.

Trump published a three-paragraph letter about his health a year ago

This medical revelation comes at a time when Harris and Trump appear to be in a tie less than a month before Election Day – both looking for ways to shake up the race and win over the small number of undecided or persuaded voters in swing states .

The Harris campaign is raising questions about whether the 78-year-old Trump is up to the task, drawing particular attention to his rambling and incoherent speeches as a sign that he has failed.

“He talks about fictional characters at his rallies. He's constantly in a state of resentment toward himself,” Harris said Saturday, reeling off a list of failures. “He is completely unsuitable for the job,” she said.

Trump published a three-paragraph letter from a doctor about his health in November 2023. It said Trump's “general health was excellent” and his “cognitive testing was exceptional.”

On Saturday, Trump spokesman Steven Cheung said that over the years the former president had voluntarily released information showing that “he was in perfect and excellent health to be commander in chief.”

Trump's health has been the subject of speculation since he first released a brief statement as a candidate in 2015 that said he was “the healthiest person ever elected to office” – a letter written by Trump himself, as was his doctor at the time later said, dictated. The accuracy of later reports was also often questioned.

As the 81-year-old President Biden ran for a second term, stumbles, murmurs and mistakes made headlines and his age became his biggest political irritant with voters, while Trump's age and acumen received less scrutiny.

After appearing to be overwhelmed during his June debate with Trump, Biden faced pressure from his party to back off and pass the torch to a younger leader.

Here are some highlights from Harris' medical report

Dr. Joshua Simmons, a White House Medical Unit doctor who has been Harris' doctor since January 2021, wrote the three-page report. He said.

• Harris suffers from seasonal allergies and received allergen immunotherapy to relieve her symptoms. Her doctor said she occasionally uses Atrovent but has never experienced severe symptoms, angioedema, or anaphylaxis.
• She is nearsighted and wears contact lenses, but can read well without contact lenses or glasses.
• Her last physical examination took place in April 2024. She stays up to date on preventative care like colonoscopies and annual mammograms. She takes a vitamin D3 supplement.
• Your risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is low.
• She works out daily and eats healthily; Does not smoke and only drinks occasionally and in moderation.