--- title: Donald Trump Doctor: Letter Says He Is Overweight description: Donald Trump released a letter from his doctor on Thursday saying he is "in excellent health," though he is somewhat overweight. canonical: https://time.com/4495117/donald-trump-doctors-letter/ author: Sam Frizell article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-09-15T15:00:56.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-19T07:48:18.050Z article:section: Politics og:title: Trump's Doctor's Letter Reveals He is Overweight og:description: But it says he is in "excellent health." og:url: https://time.com/4495117/donald-trump-doctors-letter/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc879297c1e93a370/6988a634428a9efd67cd4451/gettyimages-605732444-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=594&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 594 og:image:height: 334 og:image:alt: Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump takes the stage at a campaign rally at the Canton Memorial Civic Center on September 14, 2016 in Canton, Ohio. og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Trump's Doctor's Letter Reveals He is Overweight twitter:description: But it says he is in "excellent health." twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc879297c1e93a370/6988a634428a9efd67cd4451/gettyimages-605732444-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=594&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Donald Trump's Doctor's Letter Reveals He is Overweight, But 'In Excellent Health' > Sponsored content. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=c1129a29-c0e6-4a07-840b-7c630700f516&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) by [Sam Frizell](https://time.com/author/sam-frizell/) ## Sam Frizell Sep 15, 2016 3:00 PM UTC  Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump takes the stage at a campaign rally at the Canton Memorial Civic Center on September 14, 2016 in Canton, Ohio. Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump takes the stage at a campaign rally at the Canton Memorial Civic Center on September 14, 2016 in Canton, Ohio. Jeff Swensen by [Sam Frizell](https://time.com/author/sam-frizell/) ## Sam Frizell Sep 15, 2016 3:00 PM UTC Donald Trump [released a letter](https://assets.donaldjtrump.com/DJT%5FMedical%5FRecords%5F.pdf) from his doctor on Thursday saying the Republican nominee is “in excellent health,” though he is somewhat overweight and takes a statin to treat high cholesterol levels. A letter from Trump’s physician, Dr. Harold Bornstein revealed that the Republican nominee is 236 pounds and 6’3″ and had a cholesterol level of 169\. Trump has an annual physical examination every spring and shows his liver and thyroid function are within the normal range. “In summary, Mr. Trump is in excellent health,” said Dr. Bornstein in his letter. Trump’s weight is on the borderline between overweight and obese for his height, according to standards defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention The previous note from Bornstein, who has been the 70-year-old Trump’s physician since 1980, was widely mocked for claiming Trump would be “the healthiest individual elected to the presidency.” Bornstein later admitted to writing the letter in five minutes while a limousine sent by the candidate waited outside. This latest note from Trump is somewhat more detailed than the scanty letter received last year, and it includes a few new details like the date of his last colonoscopy, his blood pressure and his latest cardiac evaluation. Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton released [detailed records](http://time.com/4493918/hillary-clinton-pneumonia-records/?xid=homepage) on Wednesday stating she is “healthy and fit to serve as President of the United States,” in addition to records released in mid-2015\. Clinton’s recent bout with pneumonia, diagnosed last Friday left her weakened at a 9/11 memorial event, where she appeared to have trouble standing. Clinton quickly recovered, but it raised new questions about both candidates’ health. 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