Donald Trump’s surprisingly glowing medical report has led to questions about the accuracy of some of the data announced by White House physician Dr Ronny Jackson on Tuesday – including how a man in his 70s has apparently grown an inch in height.
Trump’s driving license, issued in May 2012, stated his height as 6ft 2in. Yet according to the report issued by the White House physician on Tuesday, Trump is 6ft 3in.
The seeming growth spurt led to people comparing images of Trump to celebrities who are allegedly of the same height.
One image showed Trump standing next to former baseball player Alex Rodriguez, who is 6ft 3in. Rodriguez looked considerably taller.
Two 6'3" men standing next to each other. #Girther #GirtherMovement pic.twitter.com/yI14O6YpQ6
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) January 17, 2018
A photo of Trump next to Barack Obama, taken one year ago at Trump’s inauguration, seemed to show that the pair were of the same height. Obama is 6ft 1in.
Eyebrows were also raised at Trump’s stated weight. His weight of 239lb was just 1lb under him being classed as obese.
The intrigue over the president’s body mass was fuelled by people sharing a series of photos of athletes who are also said to weigh around 239lb. The comparisons included NFL quarterback Jay Cutler and Minnesota Vikings running back Latavius Murray, both of whom weigh around 235lb.
The athletes both looked significantly different from Trump.
Trump’s suggested weight and body circumference has given rise to the “girther” movement, and Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn offered to pay $100,000 to a charity of Trump’s choosing if the president would publicly step on a weighing scale.
The president’s diet does not immediately suggest a man whose health is “excellent”, as White House physician Dr Ronny Jackson said.
Trump’s food intake has a heavy focus on McDonald’s, KFC and Oreo cookies, while he distrusts exercise – believing the human body comes with a finite amount of energy which is depleted by cardiovascular and resistance training.
Trump is being assigned a new diet and exercise regimen and hopes to lose 10-15lb.
Jackson said Trump’s life expectancy is “the same as every other American male right now, but it’s certainly no less”. The life expectancy for a man in the US is 76.1 years (Trump is 71).
During Obama’s presidency Trump suggested Obama was not born in the US, and in 2012 offered $5m to a charity of Obama’s choosing if the then president released his college records and passport applications.
The Guardian contacted Trump’s representatives at the time asking for Trump’s own college records and passport applications. A Trump adviser said that request was “stupid” and accused the Guardian of “trying to be funny”. The documents were not released.