Cardiologist questions Trump’s health in new editorial: ‘We have been kept in the dark too long’
Veteran cardiologist Jonathan Reiner, MD, detailed his concerns about President Donald Trump’s health in a new editorial for The New York Times.
Reiner, a professor at George Washington University, treated Vice President Dick Cheney for decades. He is also a regular guest on CNN, tackling a variety of healthcare topics. One subject Reiner has been discussing more and more during those appearances has been Trump’s health.
In this new editorial, Reiner reflects on his years as Cheney’s cardiologist and looks back at other times the president’s health has been in the global spotlight. He then shifts his attention to Trump, noting that the White House has said repeatedly that the president is in “excellent” health. Despite these claims, however, Reiner said Trump “has not looked well” in the past year.
“I am not Mr. Trump’s doctor, and have only reviewed his records that have been made public,” Reiner wrote. “But Mr. Trump is probably the most photographed president in American history, and a variety of physical ailments are easy to see. He’s had large bruises on both hands, swelling in his legs and episodes when it appears that he is struggling to stay awake. He’s also had advanced imaging performed for unclear reasons. The public is again left to wonder whether the nation’s leader is OK.”
Reiner goes on to wish the U.S. president was formally required to be upfront about his health. Not every detail needs to be shared with the public, he added, but there is value in assuring Americans that their commander in chief is up for the task at hand.
“In a representative democracy, the people must have confidence in the health of their leader, and in the leader’s capacity to guide the nation,” Reiner wrote. “We have been kept in the dark too long.”
Click here to read the full editorial in The New York Times.
What the public knows about Trump’s health
While Reiner argues that the public needs more information, the White House has released multiple statements about Trump’s health in the last year or so.
In July 2025, for example, the White House announced that Trump had been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency. This is common for adults of his age, and officials have emphasized that he shows no signs of “heart failure, renal impairment or systemic illness.”
When the symptoms of chronic venous insufficiency escalate, ablation or other treatments may be considered. For now, however, there is no reason to think Trump requires any of these treatments.
In December 2025, the White House provided additional details about Trump’s health.
“There is no evidence of arterial narrowing impairing blood flow or abnormalities in the heart or major vessels,” Sean P. Barbabella, DO, the official physician to the president, said in a memo. “The heart chambers are normal in size, the vessel walls appear smooth and healthy, and there are no signs of inflammation or clotting. Overall, his cardiovascular system shows excellent health.”
Another memo from May 2026 contained a similar message: Trump remains in “excellent health” overall. He did undergo coronary CT angiography, an electrocardiogram and an echocardiogram , Barbabella noted, but his cardiac function remains “normal.”
Michael has more than 19 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.