Physical and mental health aren’t easily separated, especially at our age. And the president is showing many concerning signs I do not wish Trump ill. While he hasn’t shown a shred of compassion for anyone other than himself, this doesn’t justify any of us lacking compassion for him. It’s also in the interest of the US and the world that he be physically and mentally able to discharge the duties of his office.
So we have reason to be concerned about Trump’s visit to Walter Reed national military medical center last week for what the White House described as a “routine annual dental and medical assessment”. (A memo from Trump’s physician released over the weekend “remains in excellent health.”) Trump turns 80 next month. I feel entitled to comment on the practical meaning of this milestone because I’ll also turn 80 next month (he was born 10 days before me). Let’s just say that reaching it doesn’t mean altogether good things, unless you consider the alternative.
Even in a healthy person, small things begin to break down as one approaches 80. Everything takes just a bit more time and effort. Energy isn’t quite as abundant. The 80-year-old mind isn’t as quick.
The frontal lobe’s capacity to remember names goes to shit. (Yesterday, I could barely remember the name of a garage mechanic whom I’ve known for nearly half a century.) Taken separately, such minor frailties typically mount to no more than a personal frustration. In a president of the United States, they can pose a major challenge to the nation and world. Trump frequently proclaims he’s in excellent health.
“Just finished my 6 month physical at Walter Reed Military Medical Center. Everything checked out PERFECTLY,” he wrote on Truth Social early Tuesday afternoon. “Thank you to the great Doctors and Staff! Heading back to the White House.” But even “PERFECTLY” is a relative concept for someone ending his seventh decade and beginning his eighth, who’s the oldest person to assume the presidency and the second-oldest to hold the office.