“A Better Physical Specimen” Trump Boasts About Health Comparison to Obama at NRA Meeting
Photo illustration by Slate. Photos by Twitter via Getty Images and Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images.
During his keynote address at the 153rd Annual National Rifle Association Meeting in Dallas, Texas, former President Donald Trump claimed that a former White House doctor had opined he was a “better physical specimen” than Barack Obama. Trump, deviating from his scripted speech, shared this anecdote, which garnered laughter from the audience but sparked a flurry of criticism online, as per Raw Story.
Trump recounted an exchange, stating, “They asked him, ‘Who is a better physical specimen, is it Donald Trump, or is it Obama?’ He said, ‘It is not even close, Donald Trump, not even close,’ and I said, ‘I love this guy. Dr. Ronny Jackson.'” This statement, delivered on Saturday, May 18, was part of a broader address where Trump highlighted various achievements and personal anecdotes.
The reaction on social media, however, was far from favorable. Many users on X, formerly known as Twitter, took the opportunity to mock and criticize Trump. One user commented, “When it comes down to it, he’s just a deeply sick man in every way a human can be.” Another quipped, “Today in the delirious ravings of a morbidly obese drug-addicted and dementia-addled lunatic.” Questions arose about the appropriateness of such a boast, with one user rhetorically asking, “Why on Earth would he say this? Why would this person boast that a doctor says he is more fit than Obama?”
Ron Filipkowski, editor at Meidas Touch Network, tweeted, “The insecure malignant narcissist mixed with dementia and autocratic delusions of grandeur wants voters to fill the hole in his heart left by a mom who didn’t hug him as a child.” Former RNC chair and MSNBC analyst Michael Steele added, “The lies dumbass people are told by dumbass people.” Another user declared, “Trump is a joke and a loser. He’s always been a joke and a loser. He got lucky once. Never again.”
The mockery continued with one user joking, “Does he even know who he’s running against? Not sure he’s even healthier than Biden let alone Obama lol.” Another user stated, “Donald, people who died last year are in better shape than you,” while another defined “delusion” in response to Trump’s claims. A particularly scathing tweet read, “Trump is a walking dementia brain in a diaper.”
Trump’s frequent references to Obama in his speeches, as noted by Forbes, are often deliberate and sometimes gaffes. His near-obsession with Obama dates back years before his presidential campaign, notably in 2011 when Trump propagated false claims about Obama’s birthplace. In 2016, facing mounting backlash, Trump retracted his statements, saying, “President Barack Obama was born in the United States, period.” However, he attempted to shift the blame by falsely claiming that Hillary Clinton’s 2008 campaign started the “birther” controversy, asserting, “Hillary Clinton and her campaign of 2008 started the birther controversy. I finished it.”
Trump’s remarks at the NRA meeting and the subsequent online backlash highlight the ongoing contentiousness and polarization surrounding his statements and actions. As he continues to invoke Obama’s name in his speeches, the reactions from both his supporters and detractors remain sharply divided.
