Donald Trump is aghast at how his health was called into question following his trip to the United States Military Academy at West Point on June 13. He needed two hands to hold a glass of water up to his mouth while giving the commencement speech and appeared to shake. Then he walked very slowly down ramp in such a manner that #TrumpIsNotWell began trending on Twitter. The president actually responded to the debate about his pace that same evening, with a detailed explanation tweet blaming the “slippery” ramp. In a new interview, Trump, 74, says he “doesn’t think” he has Parkinson’s disease, as some have questioned. Parkinson’s is a progressive central nervous system disorder that causes body tremors.
“I went to West Point over the weekend, made a very good speech, according to everybody. They said the speech was one of the best. The kids thought it was one of the best they’d ever heard. Stood up there for a long time saluting,” Trump told the Wall Street Journal ‘s Michael C. Bender in a June 16 interview. He then went on to explain his walk from the podium, where Trump claimed, “‘And does he have Parkinson’s? I don’t think so.”
The ramp that I descended after my West Point Commencement speech was very long & steep, had no handrail and, most importantly, was very slippery. The last thing I was going to do is “fall” for the Fake News to have fun with. Final ten feet I ran down to level ground. Momentum!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 14, 2020
“After the helicopters came over, the hats went up, the general said, ‘Sir, Are you ready?’ I said, ‘I’m ready.’ And he led me to a ramp that was long and steep and slippery. And I said, I got a problem because I wear, you know, the leather bottom shoes. I can show them to you if you like. Same pair,” Trump explained, offering to show Bender the bottom of his shoes. “And you know what I mean, they’re slippery. I said, ‘General, I got a problem here. That ramp is slippery.'”
Yet again, this guy has an amazing ability to draw attention to the things that embarrass him the most.
Enjoy the video:pic.twitter.com/71LSADHHNN
— Brian Tyler Cohen (@briantylercohen) June 14, 2020
“So I’m going to go real easy. So I did. And then the last 10 feet I ran down. They always stop it just before I ran, they always stop it,” he continued, seeming to complain about how the video was played during media reports. “So, I spent three hours between speeches and saluting people and they end up, all they talked about is ramp. If you would have seen this ramp, it was like an ice skating rink. Here I spent three hours on stage, the sun pouring in and I saluted 1,106 cadets, and that’s not easy. I stayed there for hours. And what do I do? I get publicity about walking down a ramp. And ‘does he have Parkinson’s?’ I don’t think so,” Trump explained.
The reporter then noted how Trump’s campaign has gone after his opponent, 77-year-old Joe Biden‘s health, and that it might be one of the reasons why the president himself was also scrutinized. “Well, I’m four years younger. But no, it’s not Biden’s age,” Trump said about his critiques, which include calling Biden “Sleepy Joe.” “I know people that are much older than me. And they’re sharp as they were when they were 25. I know a man who’s 92, is 100 percent sharp. Take a look at (86-year-old Republican donor) Sheldon Adelson. So sharp. It’s not the age,” when talking about Biden’s mental acuity. In addition to Biden, Trump went after his 2016 presidential opponent Hillary Clinton‘s health during their race against each other. So he can’t be surprised when the tables are turned on him.