There is a lot of controversy regarding Donald J. Trump’s physical, mental and moral fitness for office, especially for the presidency. I believe good health in all three of these qualities is essential for good, strong, ethical leadership. Trump seems to be significantly deficient in all three of these qualities.
Physical • He demonstrates poor energy levels, falls asleep during meetings, shows visible signs of health problems, such as bruising and swollen ankles.
Mental • Multiple videos show his confusion, loss of words, poor understanding of questions, etc. Lately he has been given repeated cognitive testing, using a tool he describes as a “really hard test” but it actually is a tool meant to screen for dementia and its progression. He insisted for several days that he recently had an MRI but did not know what part of his body was examined. Lately he has said it was a CT scan and not an MRI. I wonder how much coaching it took to make him modify his statement? I worked in the industry for several years as a radiologic technologist and performed many CT scans over the years. I have had both MRIs and CT scans performed on me and they were done for specific health concerns, not “just because” as the president seems to believe. While the two machines visually share some similarities, the sensory experiences of the two exams are vastly different. A person in reasonably good health would remember and be able to differentiate one from the other.
Moral • To list just a few of his failings: He has 34 felony convictions; has been adjudicated of sexual assault; there are concerns regarding his association with Jeffrey Epstein; he is a chronic and persistent liar; he has sanctioned bombing of alleged drug cartel boats killing civilians and inhumane ICE raids resulting in deportations and humans being locked up in detention centers; he believes himself to be above the law. The list, of course, is much much longer but I will stop here.
I submit that every American should be concerned about his fitness for office in so many ways. Register your concerns by frequently contacting your senators and representatives. Write letters, attend protests — whatever you are able to do. I believe we are in a fight for our democracy and I am very concerned about the man who has his finger on the nuclear button.
Vicky Hall, Salt Lake City
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