Trump’s Health Claims Are Getting Embarrassing (w/ Ben Terris)
Quick Read
Summary
Takeaways
- ❖Trump's health claims are a source of 'silliness' and 'zinginess' due to their exaggerated nature.
- ❖An unexpected Oval Office interview with Trump and two doctors revealed their coordinated effort to address health rumors.
- ❖The mysterious MRI was explained as a 'coincidence' during another visit, with 'perfect results' for his abdomen.
- ❖Hand bruises are attributed to high aspirin intake and 'women's fingernails/rings,' despite appearing on both hands.
- ❖Doctors claimed Trump is healthier than Obama, despite Obama being younger and more active.
- ❖Staffers, including Marco Rubio, reportedly hide normal human behaviors like napping to avoid appearing 'weak' to Trump.
- ❖Trump's phone call with Ari Emanuel was used to solicit a 'reference' for his health, which Emanuel awkwardly provided.
- ❖Trump is 'very self-conscious' about his hands and uses makeup to cover bruises, often making them more visible.
- ❖Some staff are relieved Trump stopped dyeing his hair, seeing it as his 'only concession to aging'.
Insights
1The 'Superhuman President' Narrative
Trump's team, including medical staff, actively promotes a narrative of him possessing superhuman health and energy, often using exaggerated or implausible explanations for visible signs of aging or health issues. This narrative is pushed by individuals like Steven Miller, who suggested the 'superhuman president' headline, and even by Walter Reed doctors.
Steven Miller suggested the headline 'the superhuman president' (). Doctors claimed Trump is healthier than Obama () and that Marines 'call for backup' due to his intense work schedule ().
2Explaining Away Hand Bruises
Trump and his doctors attribute his frequently bruised hands to excessive aspirin use, which causes easy bruising, and 'aggressive handshaking' or injuries from women's fingernails and rings. However, the appearance of similar bruises on his left hand in Davos challenges the handshaking explanation.
Trump takes 'way too much aspirin,' causing easy bruising (). He claims injuries from 'women's fingernails and from women's wedding rings' (), citing Pam Bondi as an example (). A 'disgusting bruise' appeared on his left hand in Davos, making the handshaking explanation less plausible ().
3The Mysterious MRI and Doctors' Explanations
The unexplained MRI visit to Walter Reed was framed by Trump's doctors as a 'coincidence' – he was already there, and they decided to perform an abdomen scan because the machine was available and they wanted to be 'extra careful.' They reported 'perfect results.'
Trump called the MRI 'the stupidest thing I've ever done in my life' (). Doctors claimed he was 'just at Walter Reed anyway' and they decided to do an abdomen image because 'the machine is here' (). They stated the results were 'amazing' and 'perfect' ().
4Culture of Fear and Loyalty
Trump's orbit fosters a culture where individuals, from medical professionals to high-ranking politicians, feel compelled to align with his narrative of strength and energy, even if it means denying normal human needs or making absurd claims. This is exemplified by Marco Rubio's behavior and the doctors' talking points.
Marco Rubio 'needs to take a nap' on Air Force One but 'is terrified that the president will see him napping' and think he's weak, so he wraps himself 'like a mummy' to hide (). Doctors arrived with 'talking points' pages long ().
5Trump's Self-Consciousness and Appearance Management
Despite projecting an image of invincibility, Trump is highly self-conscious about his appearance, particularly his hands, and uses makeup to conceal perceived flaws. His recent decision to stop dyeing his hair is noted as a rare concession to aging, which some staff found improved his appearance.
Trump is 'very self-conscious about the hand' (), puts a 'dollop of makeup on it' (), and covered his hand during a meeting (). He recently 'stopped dying his hair,' which now appears white and 'looked better' ().
Lessons
- Critically evaluate health claims made by political figures and their staff, especially when they appear overly exaggerated or lack transparent evidence.
- Recognize how political pressure can influence official statements, even from seemingly objective sources like medical professionals.
- Observe non-verbal cues and inconsistencies between stated narratives and visible realities when assessing public figures' health and capabilities.
Quotes
"He's kind of infected the government in a way. They they have a almost like a um I don't know like a brain worm uh that he's put in them and all these all these people that I talked to it was like I don't know they had been um snatched by body snatchers and were just paring what the president wanted them to say."
"It was the stupidest [__] thing I've ever done in my life."
"He's working so hard that even the Marines can't keep up."
"He's so afraid that the president is going to see him sleeping and think that he's weak that Rubio will take a blanket and wrap himself in it. He said like a mummy."
"Everybody in his orbit, they just can't help but become, you know, the ultimate Trump lackey. It's the only way to succeed in his government."
Q&A
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