WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris is in “excellent health” and “possesses the physical and mental stamina” required to serve as president, her doctor said in a letter released Saturday that detailed her medical history and status summarizes.
Dr. Joshua Simmons, a U.S. Army colonel and physician to the vice president, wrote that Harris, 59, maintains a hearty, vigorous lifestyle and that her last physical exam last April was “unremarkable.”
She “possesses the physical and mental resilience necessary to successfully discharge the duties of the presidency, including those as head of government, head of state and commander in chief,” he wrote in a two-page letter.
Harris’ campaign hopes to apply the moment to draw a contrast with Republican Donald Trump, who has released confined information about his health over the years, and raise questions about his fitness for office, according to a campaign aide who spoke anonymously wanted to stay to discuss sensitive topics.
Trump has released very little health information, including after his ear was grazed by a bullet in an assassination attempt in July.
Simmons, who said he has been Harris’ primary doctor for three and a half years, said the vice president has suffered from allergies and urticaria, also called hives, in the past, for which she has undergone allergen immunotherapy for the past three years.
Simmons said Harris’ recent blood work and other test results were “unremarkable.”
Also in the report: Harris wears contact lenses for gentle myopia; there is a family history of maternal colon cancer; She stays current on preventative care recommendations, including colonoscopy and annual mammograms.
When Harris’ office released the medical report, her campaign highlighted recent media reports that raised questions about Trump’s health and mental state, as well as his failure to provide information about his health and medical history.
Trump, 78, eagerly questioned President Joe Biden’s health as the 81-year-old president sought re-election. Since Biden was replaced on the ticket by Harris, Trump’s own health has drawn more attention.
Last November, Trump celebrated Biden’s birthday by releasing a letter from his doctor that said the former president was in “excellent” physical and mental health.
The letter, posted on Trump’s social media platform, did not contain any details that could support his claims – details such as weight, blood pressure and cholesterol levels or the results of a test.
