US President Donald Trump passed a cognitive test and is in overall excellent health, but needs to lose 10 to 15 pounds (4.5 to 6.8 kg) by eating better and starting to exercise, the White House physician said on Tuesday.
Trump, seeking to put to rest lingering questions about his mental fitness for office, asked his doctor to add a cognitive screening test to his first presidential medical exam - and also authorized Dr. Ronny Jackson to release a battery of data from the tests.
The Navy doctor exhausted reporters’ questions during an unusually lengthy hour-long session, at Trump’s request, and said he did not withhold any information in the interests of privacy.
“He said, I want you to get out there and I want you to talk to them and I want you to answer every single question they have,” Jackson said of Trump.
Trump, 71, is known to enjoy high-fat foods like fried chicken, hamburgers and steak - and while he plays golf, he does not have a daily exercise routine.
Trump’s mental fitness for the job had come under intense scrutiny after a controversial, best-selling book, “Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House,” portrayed him as childlike and mercurial.
Past presidents are not known to have been tested for mental acuity while in office - including Ronald Reagan, who five years after leaving the White House was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

Trump is sharp, but needs to lose weight according to White House doctor
Trump, 71, is known to enjoy high-fat foods like fried chicken, hamburgers and steak. (Reuters)
Reuters, Washington
Wednesday 17 January 2018
Last Update: Wednesday, 20 May 2020 KSA 09:52 - GMT 06:52
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