Trump's appearance, that speech and the problem with speculating about a public figure's health
Former President Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt last weekend at 78 years old. And now he appears ... fine?
Trump accepted his third nomination for the highest office in the U.S. Thursday night just days after a bullet grazed his ear. He wore a white bandage on said ear – but some people at the Republican National Convention and elsewhere around the country began to wonder aloud: Does his face look puffy? What kind of medication must he be taking?
And it wasn't just those on social media weighing in. Variety, in a write-up about the speech, declared Trump looked "sweaty." CNN commentator Dr. Sanjay Gupta noted in a lengthy column "what we’ve been told by the campaign offers very little insight into the former president’s condition, what kind of care he received or how his medical team will monitor him in the days and weeks ahead." USA TODAY has reached out to the Trump campaign to inquire about the speculation.
After a somber 15 minutes talking about unity and recounting the shooting that nearly took his life Saturday, his acceptance speech turned to familiar rally grievances that have been the hallmark of his campaign.
"There was blood pouring everywhere and yet, in a certain way I felt very safe because I had God on my side," Trump said. " ... I'm not supposed to be here tonight. ... I'm not and I stand before you in this arena by the grace of almighty God."
A responsibility to disclose medical conditions
Several mental health experts say that gossip about a public figure's stamina could lead to incorrect assumptions and affect the person's mental health. Still, politicians have a responsibility to disclose health conditions given the power they wield in society. Though it's never polite to discuss someone's private health issues, in the case of a politician it may be more warranted.
"When a highly powerful elected official is observed publicly experiencing a medical issue … it is reasonable to expect public discussion as well as a public response from the leader," Laura Petiford, marriage and family therapist and psychiatric nurse practitioner, previously told USA TODAY.
Aside from that, "public figures need privacy to cope, heal, and develop a strategy to move forward just like everyone else," said Amy Morin, psychotherapist, author of "13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do" and the host of a podcast. "Working through issues privately can give them space to manage their emotions and strategize how to move forward without the distraction of outside opinions."
Donald Trump, public figures and the question of medical privacy
It's easy to zoom in on Trump's face and mannerisms and look for clues. But generally, "we are only seeing the outward symptoms and we are not able to get the full spectrum of someone's health and their health history based on what we see in the media," Morin says. "Drawing conclusions about someone's conditions based on what we see isn't likely to yield an accurate diagnosis."
What starts out as whispers get louder with each tweet, each TV media hit.
Politicians, like anyone else, deserve time to take care of themselves. "Public figures, including political leaders, deserve a certain level of privacy regarding their personal health issues," Brad Fulton, associate professor of management and social policy at the Indiana University – Bloomington, previously told USA TODAY.
Everyone has boundaries, though it's easy to ignore others' boundaries in current times. "In the age of social media, the general public has become trained to share not only their most private moments, but to also expect others to do the same," psychologist Reneé Carr previously told USA TODAY.
Still, politicians require more scrutiny than most. President Joe Biden's health has been at the forefront of the nation's consciousness since his debate performance last month; it has led to many difficult conversations about aging. Trump, meanwhile, has otherwise appeared like himself in recent months.
Politicians need to be held to a higher standard
Plenty of medical experts will weigh in on public figures in the news. That said, "it's not ethical for health practitioners to diagnose people from afar, regardless of whether they're a celebrity or a politician," Morin said. "But it may be important to assure that someone in a position of power is getting treated by a professional to ensure that they still have the ability to perform the duties assigned to their position."
Fulton explained: "There may be situations where a political leader’s health directly impacts their ability to perform their duties. In those cases, there might be a legitimate public interest in knowing about their health condition. Yet, such discussions should avoid being speculative or sensational."
Whatever the case, when considering personal health matters, Fulton noted "it is important to balance the public’s right to information with the individual’s right to privacy.
You'd want the same privacy for yourself during life's cruelest moments, wouldn't you? "We need privacy to not only cope with the situation," Carr said, "but to also try to makes sense of what has happened or is happening to us and try to figure out how to move on."
Contributing: Sarah Wire and Darren Samuelsohn