Dr. Jonathan Reiner, the cardiologist who treated former Vice President Dick Cheney — who himself had a well-documented history of cardiovascular problems spanning decades in public life — and now serves as a CNN medical analyst and professor at George Washington University, pushed back Thursday against White House criticism after his New York Times op-ed raised questions about President Donald Trump's health.

The exchange underscores a longstanding tension in American politics over how much the public is entitled to know about a president's physical and cognitive condition. Past administrations have frequently faced scrutiny over health disclosures, from Dwight Eisenhower's heart attack to questions about John F. Kennedy's undisclosed ailments and Ronald Reagan's cognitive status late in his presidency.

In the piece published Wednesday, Reiner detailed several concerns regarding the 80-year-old president's apparent health issues. "He has persistent, really chronic bruises on both his hands, which have not been adequately explained," Reiner said. "He developed really impressive swelling in both his legs, and there are some discrepancies about how that has been evaluated."

Reiner also cited what he described as signs of cognitive decline. "He has, over the last several months, shown really a troubling inability to stay awake in public, what we call daytime somnolence," he said. "He falls asleep on camera very frequently, and it's disturbing to see."

The cardiologist noted that Trump has undergone several CT scans at unscheduled times without clear public explanation. He further pointed out that severe sleep apnea — a condition commonly associated with such symptoms and one that can carry serious cardiac, cognitive, and pulmonary consequences — has never been mentioned in the president's medical reports.

"Over the last several months has he really looked like he's struggled to stay awake during the day," Reiner said. "This very stark abnormality is distinctly abnormal for the president."

The White House sharply rejected the op-ed, describing Trump as "the sharpest, most accessible and energetic president in American history" and dismissing Reiner's questions as "armchair diagnosis for political purposes." Officials also called Reiner "a disgrace to the medical profession."

Reiner countered by noting that the White House itself had presented him with a certificate recognizing his service to its medical unit last year. He disputed the characterization of his comments as a diagnosis, saying his op-ed simply raised questions about publicly observable symptoms.

"If the White House wants to... provide the diagnosis for why the president has bruises on his hands and swelling in his legs, and particularly why he struggles to stay awake," Reiner said, "I'm all ears. I want to hear it. I'm not making any diagnoses. I'm just asking questions."

Source: Raw Story

Video: youtu.be/W7fGHjzVN6s