Dem
47
GOP
53
In fascist systems, the might of the state is the paramount concern. Meanwhile the leader is, at very least, the embodiment of the state, and may well BE the state. Either way, the leader must also be strong and healthy. And so, various fascist dictators have bent over backwards to emphasize how hale and hearty they are, from Mussolini denying his various hospital stays (likely to treat the effects of syphilis) to Vladimir Putin's shirtless horse rides to the Kims in North Korea claiming various fantastical athletic feats, like running a 2-minute mile, or scoring holes-in-one on 50% of the golf holes they play.
We note this as prelude to the news that the White House has released the latest annual report on Trump's health, the first one of Trump v2.0.
There are a couple of portions that attracted the notice of, well, pretty much everyone. First, at the very start of the report, it is claimed that Trump is 6'3" and weighs 224 pounds. Yeah, right. Here is Trump standing next to the 6'1" Barack Obama:
Or, if you prefer, here's Trump standing next to the 6'2" Justin Trudeau:
Even with the lifts, Trump is 6'1", tops.
As to 224 pounds, please. Maybe if they don't count his legs. That part is so obviously false, even more so than the height, that this meme launched yesterday morning, and took off like wildfire:
Thereafter, copycat tweets compared Trump to dozens of other current and former NFL players who match the basic measurements, among them Tim Tebow, Larry Fitzgerald and Derrick Henry. Eventually, there was a wave of "more realistic" comparisons, like Trump and Andre the Giant, who weighed over 500 pounds.
All of this said, vain people have been known to fudge their weight (and sometimes their height) and Trump is very, very vain. And he's done this on every one of his health reports, starting with the ridiculous letter from Harold Bornstein back during the first presidential run in 2015. So, it was actually the "summary" passage that raised the most eyebrows. Here it is; see if you can pick out the ridiculous part:
SUMMARY: President Trump remains in excellent health, exhibiting robust cardiac, pulmonary, neurological, and general physical function. His active lifestyle continues to contribute significantly to his well-being. President Trump's days include participation in multiple meetings, public appearances, press availability, and frequent victories in golf events. President Trump exhibits excellent cognitive and physical health and is fully fit to execute the duties of the Commander-in-Chief and Head of State.
In case you missed it, it's the part that refers to "frequent victories in golf events." It's debatable whether playing golf a few times a week represents an active lifestyle. But even if it does, winning tournaments (especially those held at YOUR golf course, where everyone knows the score, as it were) is irrelevant. It's only there as braggadocio.
There can only be two possible explanations here. The first is that, in Dr. Sean P. Barbabella, Trump has found another physician-as-folklorist, just like the last one (the present-day Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-TX). The alternative is that, after Barbabella files his reports, someone at the White House edits them. Either way, it's clear they can't be trusted. We're probably not quite in Mussolini/Kim territory yet, although golf-"skill"-as-proof-of-fitness is getting eerily close. (Z)