What I really think is going on with President Trump’s recent tests.

This week, the White House released new information about some medical tests that President Trump recently underwent. (He told reporters he had an MRI. This week his doctor announced that “advanced imaging” showed no serious issues.) I shared my views with CNN and Scientific American, which I’ll expand on below.

Just a quick note to say that this platform gives me the opportunity to go far deeper into the details than I could elsewhere, which is why I truly enjoy writing this newsletter. I hope you find it interesting! —Jeremy

On the duality of Presidential health records.

My view on Presidential health is a bit counterintuitive. It goes like this:

1. The public should be given extensive access; that is, much more information than we currently receive. While the President retains medical privacy, it should be implied that his health (or hers, someday) is a matter of national importance—and so, it should not be up to the White House doctor (who could easily be fired for saying an unpopular thing) to give the yes/no on the President’s fitness to serve, but little else. Currently, we are in an “in-between” space, where we receive a select summary of results via press release. As an electorate, I think we are “owed” more. In other words, if you agree to serve as President, you should also agree to opening your full medical records to us. Doctors like me can then agree or disagree with the stated summary from the President’s physicians.

2. There are very few medical diagnoses that should preclude a President from serving. Many people wrongly believe that if the President were found to have cancer or serious heart disease, this would imply that they could no longer serve. That’s not only incorrect—it actually comes down to how severe the condition is, and how arduous the treatments are. I think there’s a tacit form of discrimination at work here. Many people seem to believe that certain medical diagnoses indicate weakness and/or that such conditions are a sign of age or disability. Well, that’s ageism and ableism, incarnate. People can function quite well with a variety of medical issues, provided they are under some degree of control.

So, I’m espousing what may sound like a contradiction. Tell us everything! But also, there are very few things Presidents and their doctors could tell us that would be, by themselves, disqualifying from serving.

Imagine a ...