House Speaker Mike Johnson claimed Donald Trump’s medical records were ‘irrelevant’ to US voters after Kamala Harris released hers in a challenge to the man now running for office as the oldest presidential candidate in United States history.

In a fiery exchange with host Kristen Welker on NBC News Meet the press On Sunday, the Republican president defended Trump’s reluctance to share his health information, saying he didn’t need to because his apparent prowess was being “exposed” every day.

Initially, Johnson attempted to falsely claim that Trump had actually shared all of his own medical records, claiming “he did it, he released his doctors’ records.”

“Kamala Harris released her medical records as a diversion because she is desperate, because she is sinking in the polls,” he said.

Johnson then gave examples of what he said shows the 78-year-old’s fitness to serve.

“Donald Trump’s health is visible. Everyone in America can see it,” he said.

“This man works non-stop. He never gives up. He probably sleeps four hours a night. He doesn’t need as much sleep as the average person – he’s an unusual character.

Launching into a lengthy eulogy of Trump’s “strength” as a leader, Welker attempted to cut him off.

“To be clear, he did not disclose all of his medical records. He published two letters,” she corrected him, before Johnson interrupted.

“It’s useless. It’s exposed every minute,” he said.

Welker then confronted Johnson with the fact that he had just admitted that Trump had not released his medical records.

“So it’s useless. Do you see he didn’t disclose his medical records? You don’t want to know things like his cholesterol level, if he’s dealing with a problem that maybe we don’t know about if he wants to be commander in chief? she said.

“He also said he would release cognitive tests he passed. Should he publish it?

Johnson chimed in again: “The American people don’t care about Donald Trump’s cholesterol levels. They worry about the cost of living and the fact that they can’t pay for groceries because the policies of Kamala Harris and Joe Biden have put them in this situation.

He then added: “Medical records are irrelevant. »

Trump has refused to share detailed information about his health and medical history, despite growing concerns about his age and mental acuity to serve another term — concerns that have heightened of late.

In what amounts to a thinly veiled challenge to Trump to share his health information with American voters, Harris, 59, released his medical report on Saturday.

In the two-page letter, the Vice President’s physician Joshua Simmons writes that Harris is in “excellent health” and “possesses the physical and mental resiliency required to successfully execute the duties of the presidency, including those of chief executive, of head of state. and Commander-in-Chief.

The Trump campaign quickly hit back at the report, insisting that the Republican nominee is “in perfect and excellent health to be commander in chief” and that he “has maintained an extremely busy and active campaign schedule like no other in the political history. The campaign shared links to medical reports – one from almost a year ago in November 2023 and two on the ear injury following the July assassination attempt.

After President Joe Biden, 81, withdrew from the 2024 race over concerns about his own skills, attention quickly turned to Trump’s fitness to serve.

At 78, Trump is now the oldest presidential candidate in American history. If elected, he will be 82 years old when he leaves the White House.

And on the campaign trail, Trump’s rambling and increasingly angry speeches are fueling concerns about his age and mental health.

At his rallies, Trump often jumps from one topic to another seemingly unrelated topic or train of thought, devolves into “word salads,” and spouts wild assertions and comments — with mentions of the “late, great Hannibal Lecter », a fictional serial killer. and cannibalistic, making more than one appearance.

Then came his debate, during which Trump wildly — and falsely — claimed that migrants were eating pets in Springfield, Ohio.

Prominent mental health experts, including a former White House physician, have said The Independent that he shows signs of “cognitive decline” and seems “to have lost contact with reality”.

Former Trump ally turned critic Chris Christie became the latest to sound the alarm this week about his apparent mental decline, saying The New York Times that he has seen a “significant” change in his abilities since 2016.

As questions about Trump’s competence mount, a growing number of mental health professionals are calling for independent, objective cognitive testing to be performed on both candidates ahead of the November election.

Make sense of the US elections with experts from The Independent during our exclusive virtual event ‘Harris v Trump: Who will make history?’ » Reserve your place here.