On Wednesday night, Donald Trump returned to the Midwest for his latest campaign rally in Coralville, Iowa, boasting that he is fitter than Barack Obama.
After House Republicans voted to formalize impeachment proceedings into President Joe Biden, Mr. Trump sought to distinguish himself from his successor by emphasizing his greater fitness for office.
“I just took a physical, you’ll be happy to hear,” the 77-year-old Trump told his fans. “I passed with flying colours. And I took a cognitive exam. I said, ‘Doctor, give me anything you want. I want to take it.’”
Not content with bragging about having “aced” those tests, he claimed to be in better shape than 62-year-old former president Barack Obama by using his former White House doctor turned Texas congressman, Ronny Jackson.
Former real estate tycoon Donald Trump, during his address at the Hyatt Hotel, reminded people that “He was Obama’s doctor, too, by the way.” “I said, ‘Who’s healthier?’ He said, ‘Sir, there’s no contest.’ I won’t tell you the answer, but you know the answer, okay? It was me.”
On whether he thought his senior age may be an impediment, as he has frequently said about 81-year-old Mr. Biden, Mr. Trump said, “I’ll be the first to know. But I feel that right now I’m sharper than I was 20 years ago, and I don’t know why.”
“It’s a funny thing, and it’s a very minor thing, but I’m a much better golfer than I was 10 or 15 years ago. It means something, you know? It means something in a certain way.”
The Republican candidate for president in 2024 has been eager to insist that he is in good health, despite a string of gaffes in recent public appearances. Mr. Biden and Mr. Obama, on one occasion, forgot which city he was in during his last visit to Iowa.
In addition, Mr. Trump chastised state governor Kim Reynolds for supporting his opponent, Ron DeSantis, during his speech on Wednesday. He also made fun of Mr. Biden’s son Hunter, who had earlier declined to appear in person before the GOP-led impeachment committee.