According to The Washington Post, the doctor who wrote the nonspecific statement last year indicating that Donald Trump is in “excellent health” is also a long-time member of the former president’s golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey.
Bruce A. Aronwald, an osteopathic physician based in New Jersey, wrote a doctor’s letter that Trump shared in November. The note was three paragraphs long and provided few data about Trump’s physical and cognitive status, but it said twice that Trump’s general health is “excellent.”
“I am pleased to report that President Trump’s overall health is excellent,” according to the letter. “His physical exams were well within the normal range, and his cognitive exams were exceptional.”
The health of the presidential candidates has been a key discussion point leading up to the 2024 election, as voters will most likely have to choose between incumbent President Joe Biden, who will turn 82 in November, and Donald Trump, who will turn 78 in June. Despite the four-year age difference, Republicans have exploited Biden’s age to challenge the Democratic candidate’s ability to run for a second term.
Following a critical DOJ investigation on his mental acuity, Biden’s White House physician stated that the president was a “healthy, active, robust 81-year-old male.”
A ‘fixture’ at Trump’s golf club
The exact duration of Aronwald’s membership at Trump’s golf club remains unclear. However, according to the Post, he has been a longstanding member and is frequently seen spending time with the former president, as confirmed by other club members.
“He is a fixture,” said a club member, who preferred to remain anonymous, referring to Aronwald. “If you are sitting around the pool, you see him all the time.”
Aronwald and a representative of the Bedminster club did not respond when asked for a comment.
According to the doctor, there is no necessity for President Trump to issue another medical report, as the recent one he made public suffices. The doctor further stated that Trump is in good physical shape, mentally sharp, and overall in excellent health.
According to Ira Monka, president of the American Osteopathic Association, Aronwald is recognized as one of New Jersey’s leading concierge doctors. Patients shared with the Post that Aronwald did not typically disclose his political opinions.
According to the Post, Aronwald’s most recent political contribution dates back to 2015. In that year, he made a $1,000 donation to the presidential campaign of former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.
A history of Trump’s ‘excellent’ health status
Before Aronwald, Trump relied on Harold Bornstein, a gastroenterologist and the former president’s longstanding personal physician, to provide public health updates. Borstein died in January 2021 from unknown circumstances.
Bornstein’s notes were unusual for their use of hyperbole, characterizing Trump’s health as “astonishingly excellent” and his stamina as “extraordinary,” according to the New York Times.
“If elected, Mr. Trump, I can state unequivocally, will be the healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency,” he said.
He aspired to be the White House doctor after Trump was elected in 2016, but his plans were destroyed when he revealed to the Times in 2017 that Trump was taking a medication to increase hair growth.
Bornstein claimed that following his fight with Trump, Trump drafted a 2015 letter declaring him to be in perfect health.
A Trump spokeswoman did not respond to a request for comment over the weekend.
