"Excellent health": Harris shares medical history to highlight Trump's age

The summary of Harris' medical history revealed she has seasonal allergies, but is otherwise in "excellent health"

Published October 12, 2024 10:45AM (EDT)

Vice President Kamala Harris addresses the Democratic National Convention at the United Center in Chicago, Ill., on Monday, August 19, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Vice President Kamala Harris addresses the Democratic National Convention at the United Center in Chicago, Ill., on Monday, August 19, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

The White House shared a letter from Kamala Harris' physician on Saturday, detailing the vice president's full medical history and declaring she's in "excellent health." 

“She possesses the physical and mental resiliency required to successfully execute the duties of the Presidency,”  US Army physician Joshua R. Simmons wrote in the letter. 

The rundown, which revealed that Harris is near-sighted and suffers from seasonal allergies, among other minor ailments, is a clear shot at Donald Trump. While her election opponent has released doctor's notes in the past, the glowing language has raised questions about whether or not his physicians were being entirely truthful. 

Trump is nearly two decades older than Harris and would be the oldest president ever elected were he to win in November, knocking off a record set by current President Joe Biden. Harris' one-time running mate dropped out of the presidential race earlier this year after a terrible debate performance raised questions about Biden's age and mental acuity. 

While Trump has had no such public mishap, questions remain about the former president's fitness. Fellow Republican and former booster Chris Christie told the New York Times earlier this week that Trump has clearly lost a step. 

“He wasn’t as good in 2020 as he was in 2016,” the former governor of New Jersey said. “I saw decline in his skills in ’20 from ’16, and you see significant declines still. What masks it is that he is still physically pretty vibrant and energetic, unlike the president. But if you listen to him and his ability to make a point, it’s not nearly as good now as it was in 2016, not nearly.” 


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