(Photo by Doug Mills - Pool/Getty Images)
A former White House cardiologist has publicly expressed concern about President Donald Trump’s health following a recent address to the nation, describing the appearance and delivery as troubling.
Dr. Jonathan Reiner, who served for decades as Vice President Dick Cheney’s cardiologist, shared a series of posts on X while Trump was speaking. Although Reiner has been a vocal critic of the president in the past, his comments focused squarely on Trump’s physical condition rather than politics.
“No one should be happy to see the president like this. He looks unwell,” Reiner wrote during the address. In an earlier post, he added, “I’m seriously concerned about the health of the president.”
Reiner also took issue with the tone and pacing of Trump’s remarks. In one post, he described the delivery as erratic, writing, “The pace of this address is manic.” In another, he noted a mismatch between the content of the speech and its setting, saying, “The tone of this speech doesn’t quite match the festive background.”
Trump, who is 79, has frequently defended his health and fitness for office. However, Reiner’s comments revived scrutiny surrounding medical disclosures from the White House, particularly related to diagnostic testing Trump reportedly underwent earlier this year.
In previous interviews, Reiner questioned claims made by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt regarding an MRI scan Trump received months ago. Speaking to CNN at the time, Reiner disputed the idea that the imaging was routine or preventative.
“Well, there really is no preventative cardiac MRI,” Reiner said. “This is not a standard test for, you know, an 80-year-old man to undergo advanced imaging. Of course, the whole note has kind of a weird, defensive, you know, evasive tone to it.”
He went on to explain that the timing of the testing raised additional questions. “First of all, this is not part of the president’s comprehensive physical examination,” Reiner said. “He had that in April, and then he underwent some more testing in July. If you look at his first administration, the president, like most presidents, only underwent one comprehensive physical exam every year. So this comes completely off-cycle.”
Reiner also criticized the lack of clarity in official explanations about the tests themselves. “Second, it’s filled with euphemisms,” he said. “Again, Dr. Barbara Bell, the president’s physician, states that he underwent advanced imaging. Well, what specific advanced imaging did the president have? Was it an MRI, as the president said? Was it a CT [scan]? Did he have both? Why not just spell it out?”
While the White House has not responded directly to Reiner’s latest comments, the former cardiologist’s remarks have fueled renewed debate over transparency and the physical demands of the presidency as Trump continues his term.
