Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Everyone's Talking About Trump's Mental Health. But How Do You Actually Detect Cognitive Decline?
Stat: How To Determine Trump's Mental Fitness? Reliable Cognitive Tests Exist
When President Trump has his physical exam on Friday, there is little chance he will repeat the same story within a span of 10 minutes or fail to recognize old friends, as the explosive new book “Fire and Fury” by Michael Wolff asserts he has done in the past. But the mental deterioration that causes such memory lapses would be detectable on standard cognitive tests. The White House told reporters on Monday that psychiatric tests would not be conducted as part of the president’s physical, but did not explicitly rule out cognitive assessments. (Begley, 1/9)
The Washington Post: The White House Struggles To Silence Talk Of Trump’s Mental Fitness
The White House is struggling to contain the national discussion about President Trump’s mental acuity and fitness for the job, which has overshadowed the administration’s agenda for the past week. Trump publicly waded into the debate spawned by a new book, “Fire and Fury” — Michael Wolff’s inside account of the presidency — over the weekend by claiming on Twitter that he is “like, really smart” and “a very stable genius.” In doing so, the president underscored his administration’s response strategy — by being forceful and combative — while also undermining it by gleefully entering a debate his aides have tried to avoid. (Rucker and Parker, 1/8)
Politico: Is Trump Mentally Fit? Don't Count On His Physical To Tell You
If President Donald Trump were any other 71-year-old — covered by Medicare and having his annual wellness visit — he'd be checked on his cognitive functions and possible safety risks. But when the president goes for his physical exam Friday, the White House said his mental fitness won't be tested. And there's no guarantee that the public would find out the results of cognitive tests if Trump were to take them. White House deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley said such tests are not part of the president’s planned physical. "He's sharp as a tack. He's a workhorse, and he demands his staff be the same way," he told reporters aboard Air Force One. (Diamond and Cancryn, 1/8)
