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WATCH: Trump Discusses His Weight, Stamina And Medical Record On 'Oz'

TV host Mehmet Oz reviews Trump's medical records on The Dr. Oz Show on Wednesday, September 14 in New York City. The episode aired on Thursday
Sony Pictures Television
TV host Mehmet Oz reviews Trump's medical records on The Dr. Oz Show on Wednesday, September 14 in New York City. The episode aired on Thursday

The campaign trail this week has been dominated not by poll numbers, but by a different set of statistics: cholesterol, triglycerides and the blood pressure levels laid out by the medical records of both major party candidates.

That discussion culminated Thursday with Trump's appearance on The Dr. Oz Show for an interview with the controversial Mehmet Oz.

On the show, which taped Wednesday, Trump unveiled his records in a fitting fashion for the former reality TV star.

"If your health is as strong as it seems from your review of systems, why not share your medical records?," Oz asked Trump.

"Well, I have really no problem in doing it. I have it right here," Trump replied. "I mean, should I do it? I don't care. Should I do it?"

Trump then pulled out two letters, waiting at the ready in his coat pocket, and handed them to Oz. He said one was a health report and the other a letter from Lenox Hill Hospital, where he received his physical exam last week.

Oz read aloud and interpreted the health statistics, which had also been released by the Trump campaign Thursday.

Each number, Oz said, was in healthy range. He stopped briefly to comment on the candidate's testosterone levels.

"Your testosterone is 441, which is actually good," Oz said, laughing. This was perhaps an acknowledgment that Trump's "manliness" has come up before, particularly when the candidate defended the size of his hands, among other things, during a primary debate in March.

Oz did circle back later to Trump's weight, which the candidate's doctor says is 236 pounds. For his 6'3" frame, the candidate is considered to be on the high end of the overweight range.

"It's tough because of the way I live, but the one thing I'd like to do is drop 15, 20 pounds," Trump said.

Ultimately, the celebrity doctor gave him a clean bill of health.

"If a patient of mine had these records, I'd be really happy," Oz said "I would have shared this earlier, why didn't you blast this out?"

"I didn't think it was necessary," Trump responded. "It's all very private stuff. Should you be showing it?"

Trump then seemed to take a stab at Hillary Clinton, who was treated recently for pneumonia and left a 9/11 memorial service Sunday after "overheating."

"When you're running for president, I think you have an obligation to be healthy," Trump said, adding that he's taken "almost no days" off.

"I just don't think you can do the work if you're not healthy," Trump said.

The Clinton campaign released her health records Wednesday, which showed her numbers to be within healthy ranges as well. Her doctor noted that she is recovering well and "fit to serve as President of the United States."

When asked about how he stays healthy on the campaign trail, Trump said that campaigning itself is "a lot of work."

"When I'm speaking in front of 15 and 20,000 people and I'm up there using a lot of motion," Trump said. "It's a pretty healthy act, and I really enjoy doing it. A lot of times, these rooms are very hot, like saunas, and I guess that's a form of exercise, you know?"

During the interview, Trump acknowledged that he would be the oldest person to be elected president, but added that when he looks in the mirror he sees "a person that's 35 years old."

As far as managing the stress associated with running for president, Trump said his only source of it is the dishonest media.

Later in the show, Ivanka Trump joined her father on stage to discuss the maternity leave and child care tax credit plan the Trump campaign released Tuesday. With his daughter by his side, Trump also commented on controversial statements he has made toward women.

"Had I known I was going to be a politician, Howard Stern is a friend of mine, I wouldn't have done his show," Trump said. "We have fun. So, we'll talk about women. We'll talk about men. We'll talk about everything and we're all having a good time."

Ivanka Trump jumped in: "My father speaks his mind, so whether it's a man or a woman, if you attack him, he'll attack you back."

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Meg Anderson is an editor on NPR's Investigations team, where she shapes the team's groundbreaking work for radio, digital and social platforms. She served as a producer on the Peabody Award-winning series Lost Mothers, which investigated the high rate of maternal mortality in the United States. She also does her own original reporting for the team, including the series Heat and Health in American Cities, which won multiple awards, and the story of a COVID-19 outbreak in a Black community and the systemic factors at play. She also completed a fellowship as a local reporter for WAMU, the public radio station for Washington, D.C. Before joining the Investigations team, she worked on NPR's politics desk, education desk and on Morning Edition. Her roots are in the Midwest, where she graduated with a Master's degree from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism.
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