Doctor angling for position as White House physician is doubtful about testing Trump for dementia

The New York Times reports on an interview with longtime Trump physician, Dr. Harold N. Bornstein: Dr. Bornstein also addressed questions about Mr. Trump’s recent description of himself as a “germophobe.” Dr. Bornstein said he had never discussed that phenomenon with Mr. Trump, but “we are very careful to keep the examining rooms spotlessly clean, which we do anyway.” He added, “He always stands there and changes the paper on the table himself” after an examination. “Other than that, nothing.”

Dr. Bornstein said that he was sure that Mr. Trump was up to date on an H.I.V. test, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that all adults get at least once. He said if he became the White House doctor he doubted that he would include in Mr. Trump’s annual checkup any psychometric tests as a base line for potential dementia. Mr. Trump’s father, Fred, suffered from Alzheimer’s disease in his eighties and a number of experts have urged that older political leaders undergo such tests.

Dr. Bornstein also said he had cared for Mr. Trump’s first and third wives, and occasionally for the second. “I am probably the only person in the world who has every phone number for him and all the wives,” Dr. Bornstein said.

About a month ago, Dr. Bornstein said he told Mr. Trump’s secretary, Rhona Graff, “You know, I should be the White House physician.” Past presidents like Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush brought their own doctors to the White House, but others have used a White House physician.

Dr. Bornstein was invited to Mr. Trump’s inaugural, although he said it was not as pleasant an experience as he expected. [Continue reading…]

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