The Controversy Over Donald Trump’s Absent Medical Records, Explained

As the calls grow for Donald Trump to release his medical records, Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris called out her opponent once more during a rally in Houston, Texas, on Friday. She pointed towards the legal battle of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and other Texas right wing leaders to access the private medical records of patients who seek out-of-state abortions.

“Please do see the irony,” Harris said. “On the one hand, Donald Trump won't let anyone see his medical records. I gave up mine! And on the other hand, they want to get their hands on your medical records.”

In Harris’ report, physician Joshua R. Simmons said the Vice President “possesses the physical and mental resiliency required to successfully execute the duties of the Presidency.”

Soon after the Harris campaign released the Vice President’s medical report on Oct. 12, over 200 doctors and health care providers signed an open letter, calling on Trump to release his.

The letter, dated Oct. 13 and organized by the group Doctors for Harris, argued that the former President should have similar transparency “given his advancing age.”

“The American people deserve to have confidence in their elected officials’ mental and physical capacity to do the jobs they’ve elected them to do,” they wrote. “Trump ought to be going above and beyond to provide transparency on his physical health and mental acuity, given his advancing age.”

Read More: What We Learned From Kamala Harris’ Medical Report—and Why It’s Significant

This issue has become more salient for Trump, ever since President Joe Biden, 81, dropped out of the presidential election on July 21, and Trump, 78, was left running against a then 59-year-old Harris.

Though it is often traditional for presidential candidates to share medical records, there’s no statute that requires Trump to release his records. According to Jeff Gulati, a political science professor at Bentley University in Waltham, Mass., the more that Trump refuses to do what Democrats are asking of him, the more his base supports him.

“It’s really just a matter of public opinion now, and he's gotten away with not sharing it in two consecutive elections,” Gulati tells TIME. “So there's just, you know, no real incentive for him to release them now.”

The most recent medical report publicly shared by Trump was featured in a Nov. 20, 2023, Truth Social post, which included a screenshot of a letter from Dr. Bruce Aronwald, sharing little detail but saying the former President was in “excellent health.”

In August, Trump said he would  “gladly” share his medical records, but he has yet to do so. However, in October, when approached by reporters and asked about his medical records, Trump reportedly said the public already has enough information on his health.

“Yeah, my health records—I’ve done five exams over the last four years. You’ve got them all,” he said. “I’ve given my health exams, I’ve also done cognitive tests twice and I’ve aced them.”

If Trump is elected in November, he will be the oldest U.S. President by the end of his term—and a significant concern coming from the doctors’ open letter centered around the Republican candidate’s age and mental acuity. This is the same scrutiny that befell Trump’s former opponent.  

Read More: Why Biden’s Age Has Become a Bigger Deal Than Trump’s

Meanwhile, Gulati says the Harris campaign needs to “run a fine line of not being seen as ageist” when discussing Trump’s medical records. “It’s obviously a touchy subject for the Democrats,” he says. “Age and health are obviously related, but Harris can’t really go there.”

On the day Harris released her medical records, the Trump campaign commented on Trump’s own records in a press release.

“President Trump has voluntarily released updates from his personal physician, as well as detailed reports from Dr. Ronny Jackson who treated him after the first assassination attempt. All have concluded he is in perfect and excellent health to be Commander in Chief,” said Trump Campaign Communications Director Steven Cheung.

Read More: What We Do and Don’t Know About Trump’s Ear Wound

Trump's medical team has remained tight-lipped over information about the former President’s medical records after the attempt or the extent of his ear wound, which he obtained during the assassination attempt at his campaign event on July 13 in Pennsylvania.

Republican representative and physician Ronny Jackson of Texas did write a signed letter released on July 20, stating that the ear wound was caused by a gunshot, and that the wound was “beginning to granulate and heal properly.” Jackson released a follow-up letter on July 26, providing an update on Trump's ear wound.