Harold Nelson Bornstein (March 26, 1947 – January 8, 2021) was an American gastroenterologist,[1] who was best known as Donald Trump's personal physician.[2][3][4] Bornstein was Donald Trump's personal physician from 1980 until early 2018; before then, Bornstein's father was his personal physician.[2]

Harold Bornstein
Born(1947-03-26)March 26, 1947
DiedJanuary 8, 2021(2021-01-08) (aged 73)
EducationTufts University (BS, MD)
Children3

Education edit

Bornstein received his M.D. degree from Tufts University in 1975 and had been licensed to practice medicine in New York State since 1976.[5] He was certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine as a specialist in Internal Medicine (1978) and Gastroenterology (1983).[6]

Trump's personal physician role edit

In December 2015 in response to questions about his health, Trump asked Bornstein to issue a "full medical report", predicting that it would show "perfection".[7] Two days later Bornstein signed a letter full of superlatives, saying that Trump's "laboratory results are astonishingly excellent" and that Trump "will be the healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency."[8] In August 2016, Bornstein stated that he had written the letter in five minutes while Trump's limousine waited for it. But he reiterated that Trump's "health is excellent, especially his mental health."[9]

In May 2018 Bornstein said that, in fact, Trump had dictated the letter over the telephone, then sent a car to pick it up.[10] Bornstein said in an interview with CNN that "Mr. Trump dictated the letter and I would tell him what he couldn't put in there..."[11]

Speaking to The New York Times in February 2017, Bornstein revealed that he was invited to and attended President Trump's inauguration with his wife Melissa. Bornstein told The Times that he enjoyed the attention from being known as the President's personal physician.[12] According to Stat, Bornstein had hoped to be the physician to the President, but the White House decided that Ronny Jackson would continue in that role.[13]

On May 1, 2018, Bornstein told NBC News that three Trump representatives had "raided" his office on February 3, 2017, taking all of Trump's medical records. He identified two of the men as Trump's longtime bodyguard Keith Schiller and the Trump Organization's chief legal officer Alan Garten. Two days earlier, Bornstein had told a reporter that Trump took a prescription hair growth medicine, Propecia, after which Trump cut ties with him.[14]

Death edit

Bornstein died on January 8, 2021. The place and cause of death was not disclosed.[15][16]

References edit

  1. ^ Seelye, Katharine Q. (January 14, 2021). "Harold N. Bornstein, Trump's Former Personal Physician, Dies at 73". The New York Times. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
  2. ^ a b Swetlitz, Ike (August 30, 2016). "From epic poet to Donald Trump's doctor: the story of 'Count Harold". Stat. Retrieved January 5, 2017.
  3. ^ Swetlitz, Ike (December 21, 2016). "One-on-one with Trump's doctor: Hecklers, house calls, and why Obamacare must be shut down". Stat.
  4. ^ Devine, Curt (September 2016). "Trump's doctor to CNN: No regrets about controversial letter". CNN. Retrieved January 5, 2017.
  5. ^ "License information: BORNSTEIN HAROLD N." Office of the Professions. State of New York. Retrieved May 2, 2018.
  6. ^ "Harold Nelson Bornstein". American Board of Internal Medicine. Archived from the original on September 28, 2020. Retrieved October 29, 2019.
  7. ^ Bereson, Tessa (December 14, 2015). "Donald Trump's Health Is 'Astonishingly Excellent,' His Doctor Says". Time. Archived from the original on December 9, 2019. Retrieved May 2, 2018.
  8. ^ Hamblin, James (August 31, 2016). "The Bizarre Words of Donald Trump's Doctor". The Atlantic. Retrieved May 2, 2018.
  9. ^ "Trump Doctor Wrote Health Letter in Just 5 Minutes as Limo Waited". NBC News. August 26, 2016. Retrieved May 2, 2018.
  10. ^ "Exclusive: Bornstein claims Trump dictated the glowing health letter". CNN. May 1, 2018. Retrieved May 2, 2018.
  11. ^ "Trump wrote own health letter, doctor says". BBC News. May 2, 2018. Retrieved May 2, 2018.
  12. ^ Altman, Lawrence (February 2, 2017). "Donald Trump's Longtime Doctor Says President Takes Hair-Growth Drug". The New York Times. Retrieved February 2, 2017.
  13. ^ Scott, Dylan (February 2, 2017). "Trump is keeping Obama's White House doctor for now". Stat. Retrieved February 4, 2017.
  14. ^ Schechter, Anna R. (May 1, 2018). "Trump doctor Harold Bornstein says bodyguard, lawyer 'raided' his office, took medical files". NBC News. Retrieved May 2, 2018.
  15. ^ Forgey, Quint (January 14, 2021). "Harold Bornstein, Trump's eccentric ex-doctor, dies". POLITICO. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
  16. ^ Seelye, Katharine Q. (January 14, 2021). "Harold N. Bornstein, Trump's Former Personal Physician, Dies at 73". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 9, 2021.