Politics

When Donald Trump revealed that Republican congressman Neal Dunn would have been “dead by June” if not for White House doctors who treated the representative’s reportedly terminal condition, many were shocked by his disclosure.

The president’s comments last week, which unfolded during a meandering presser with Republican House speaker Mike Johnson and Kennedy Center leaders, came after Trump prodded the top politician for details on Dunn’s health.

The response from Johnson, who weeks ago reportedly told donors that Dunn might have a fatal health condition, suggested that he was taken aback by Trump’s comment. He responded: “OK, that wasn’t public, but yeah, OK. It was grim, that’s what I was going to say.”

Trump’s statement prompted criticism and even surprised some observers who have grown used to his shock-jock-like antics when it comes to other political figures. But Trump for years has bragged about his physical and mental vitality – and made fun of others’ physical conditions – despite what some have described as intense caginess about his own health, including a recent neck rash.

His statement about White House doctors also coincides with fallout from the expiration of Affordable Care Act subsidies, resulting in surging healthcare costs for millions of Americans who could only dream of world-class care under the best of circumstances. And then there’s the matter of US political culture: what is America to make of a gossipy head of state with no filters?

I have some words, but they're not particularly pleasant.