This is an adapted excerpt from the Dec. 2 episode of “The Briefing with Jen Psaki.”
Donald Trump has been on quite a social media spree. On Monday, from around 9 p.m. to midnight, he made nearly 160 posts lashing out at political enemies and boosting fawning messages from his supporters. That is a rate of nearly one post per minute.
On Tuesday, shortly before 6 a.m., the president started back up again. All of that social media posting, in lieu of restorative sleep, appeared to have taken a toll on the 79-year-old president. Later that day, Trump appeared to be fighting to stay awake during a Cabinet meeting.
The manic posting, sleeplessness, and an inability to keep one’s eyes open during the day would raise questions about any 79-year-old, let alone one serving as the president of the United States.
But Trump’s social media spree comes as the White House continues to confront more questions about the president’s health, including why he received an MRI scan during his physical last month and why he couldn’t answer reporters when asked what part of his body the scans covered.
On Monday, the administration tried to put the speculation around that medical visit to bed. In a memo, White House physician Sean P. Barbabella wrote that the MRI was of Trump’s cardiovascular system and abdomen and was done “because men in his age group benefit from a thorough evaluation of cardiovascular and abdominal health.”
“The purpose of this imaging is preventive: to identify issues early, confirm overall health, and ensure he maintains long-term vitality and function,” Barbabella wrote.
But the doctor’s explanation that the MRI was a “preventive” cardiovascular checkup only raised more questions.
Jonathan Reiner, a longtime cardiologist for former Vice President Dick Cheney, told The Washington Post that an MRI or CT scan “is absolutely not a part of standard preventative imaging” for men of Trump’s age. The doctor also pointed out that Trump did not appear to undergo similar scans when he received a physical exam last April.
Now, whatever the president may or may not be going through healthwise, it’s a good thing he has access to whatever care he may need — because millions of Americans could soon find themselves not so fortunate.
Trump and House Republicans still have not budged on extending subsidies for the Affordable Care Act, which are set to expire at the end of this month. More than 22 million Americans depend on these subsidies. If they do expire, ACA premium payments more than double on average next year.
That means that millions of Americans would be unable to afford basic health care, let alone care like Trump’s so-called preventive MRIs.
Allison Detzel contributed.
Jen Psaki is the host of "The Briefing with Jen Psaki" airing Tuesdays through Fridays at 9 p.m. EST. She is the former White House press secretary for President Joe Biden.