Encyclopedia of Opinion
Question
Is Donald Trump mentally ill?
Position2 of 3
No, Donald Trump is not mentally ill
Argument2 of 3

Trump's medical exam didn't indicate mental illness

Donald Trump released his annual medical report which shows no sign of illness.

The argument

In 2018, Ronny Jackson asserted that Donald Trump was in "excellent" physical and mental condition. Then in 2019, a group of 11 medical specialists concluded Trump was in "very good health overall." The cognitive tests are not usually included in the president's annual physical. However, in response to rumours circulating about his mental health, Trump took a cognitive assessment (the Montreal Cognitive Assessment) and scored a perfect score.

Context

Donald Trump undergoes a medical assessment every year carried out by certified professionals. These have not revealed any mental health issues.

Premises

[P1]In 2018 White House physician Ronny Jackson declared Trump in 'excellent' physical and mental condition, and in 2019 a group of 11 specialists found him in 'very good health overall'. [P2] Though cognitive tests are not usually part of the annual physical, Trump took the Montreal Cognitive Assessment in response to rumours about his mental health and scored perfectly. [C] Therefore Trump's medical exams did not indicate mental illness, so Donald Trump is not mentally ill.

Counter-arguments

Even if the medical had uncovered a serious mental health issue, the public would not know about it. The president is granted the same rights to health privacy as everyone else. This means that he is allowed to decide what details about his health are released to the public. In his assessment, medical professionals could have diagnosed him with Alzheimer's or dementia, but the public would have no right to that information. In fact, it is almost certain that any mental illness would not be disclosed out of national security concerns.

Rejecting the premises

[Rejecting P2] Even if the assessments revealed mental illness, the public reports would not include it.