Donald Trump recalls Dr. Oz telling him he was ‘a little overweight’ on national TV
It was an appearance Donald Trump didn’t forget.
While attending the swearing-in ceremony of new Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz, the president recalled the time he was a guest on the doctor’s eponymous television show.
Trump recalled coming on “The Dr. Oz Show” while reading Oz’s credentials — director of New York-Presbyterian Hospital’s Cardiovascular Institute and Integrative Medicine Program and a professor at Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons.
“Boy oh boy, I thought he only did a show,” the president remarked.
“I only know the show. You know why I know the show? Because he said ‘I’m a little overweight, I should lose some weight.’
“I did his show, and that’s what I got out of it,” the president continued. “That was not good.”
The president’s health has been in the news since the White House physician released a memo on Monday indicating Trump is “fully fit” to serve as commander-in-chief.
Trump’s physician, Navy Capt. Sean Barbabella, cited an “active lifestyle” that ”continues to contribute significantly” to the Republican president’s well-being. Trump turns 79 on June 14.
In a three-page summary of the comprehensive exam from Friday, the doctor said Trump is “fully fit to execute the duties of Commander-in-Chief and Head of State.” Trump weighed 224 at the checkup, down from 244 at that physical more than four years ago.
Oz, who unsuccessfully ran for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania in 2022, is the17th CMS administrator.
The 64-year-old Oz will manage health insurance programs for roughly half the country, with oversight of Medicare, Medicaid or Affordable Care Act coverage. He steps into the new role as Congress is debating cuts to the Medicaid program, which provides coverage to millions of poor and disabled Americans.
Oz has not said yet whether he would oppose such cuts to the government-funded program, instead offering a vision of promoting healthier lifestyles, integrating artificial intelligence and telehealth into the system, and rethinking rural health care delivery.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.