Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson said Wednesday that both major-party presidential nominees should disclose their medical history, saying “elderly” candidates in particular should do so.
“I think that somebody who is running for president of the United States, particularly if they’re elderly - and that would include both major candidates - should disclose their medical history,” Mr. Carson, a Donald Trump supporter, said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”
“I’m not talking about from a year ago or two years ago - I’m talking about currently,” he said. “As people get older, things begin to happen to them.”
Republicans have been raising questions recently about the health of Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, 68, who suffered a concussion in 2012. Mrs. Clinton’s campaign released a recent statement from her doctor saying she’s in excellent health and fit to be president.
Asked recently if he wanted to see Mrs. Clinton’s medical records, Mr. Trump, 70, took a pass. But former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, a prominent Trump surrogate, has encouraged people to go online and search for “Hillary Clinton illness” to investigate.
“As a physician, physicians and scientists generally will not make a diagnosis based on something that they see from a long distance,” Mr. Carson said. “They want to have the facts.”
“My diagnosis would be that anybody who is elderly should expose their records and we the people should know what they are, because it’s a very stressful job,” he said. “It’s not an eight-hour-a-day job. It’s 24/7, and we need to make sure that is taken care of.”
In December, Mr. Trump’s campaign released a note from the candidate’s personal physician saying if elected, Mr. Trump will be the healthiest individual ever elected to the White House.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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