'Good heart, very good soul': Trump boasts health, but report's a no-show

US President Donald Trump undergoes nearly five-hour physical, says he aced cognitive test, but official medical report yet to be released

US President Donald Trump completed his annual physical on Friday, spending nearly five hours at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Trump said he "did very well" and praised his "good heart" and "very good soul." However, the official health report from White House doctors has not yet been released.

 

Trump, 78, the oldest president ever sworn into office, said he underwent "every test you can imagine." Speaking mid-flight on Air Force One, Trump told reporters, "I was there for a long time. I think I did very well."

 

Despite often questioning former US President Joe Biden’s physical and mental fitness, Trump has been secretive about his own health. Friday's check-up was his first known medical evaluation since the assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, last July. At that time, only a memo from Texas Rep. Ronny Jackson, a former White House physician and Trump supporter, mentioned that Trump had sustained a gunshot wound to his right ear.

 

Trump also told reporters on Friday that doctors gave him "a little bit" of lifestyle advice but did not share specifics. He expressed confidence in his physical and mental condition, saying, "Overall, I felt I was in very good shape. A good heart, a good soul, a very good soul."

 

Trump also mentioned taking a cognitive test, claiming to have gotten every answer right. "I don’t know what to tell you other than I got every answer right," he said, adding that the mental screening was “what the American people want.” He also took a jab at Biden, saying, “Biden refused to take it.”

 

The final health report, expected by Sunday, could provide the first detailed update in months. However, past reports have typically avoided sharing key medical metrics. Trump's last health letter, issued by Dr Bruce A Aronwald in November 2023, described him as being in "excellent" health, but it did not include vital information like weight, blood pressure, or cholesterol levels.

 

Meanwhile, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said during Trump's physical that a health report from the White House physician would be shared "as soon as we possibly can" and promised it would be thorough.

 

Trump has often avoided full transparency on his medical records. In 2019, his visit to Walter Reed for a "routine physical" was omitted from the public schedule, which broke with usual White House protocol. It was later explained as a "planned interim checkup" kept private due to scheduling uncertainties.

 

Trump has a history of mixing praise for his health with deflection. In a 2020 interview, he famously listed five words — "Person. Woman. Man. Camera. TV" — to show his memory and claimed it proved his cognitive sharpness. Asked about the test again on Friday, Trump responded, “It’s a pretty well-known test… Whatever it is, I got every one — I got it all right.”  (With AP inputs)