Donald Trump Says He's a 'Much Better Golfer' Than Barack Obama While Making Fun of Former President's 'Choosy' Diet

At a midterm campaign rally in Corpus Christi, Texas, on Tuesday, October 27, President Donald Trump repeated his claim that former White House physician Ronny Jackson declared him the healthiest president.

During his speech, Trump, 80, recounted a story from his time in office, claiming members of the press asked Jackson to evaluate the physical health of three presidents — George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Trump. According to Trump, Jackson answered, "Without question, the healthiest is President Donald J. Trump.”

Trump also added humor to the health comparison, claiming he was a "much better golfer" than Obama. He poked fun at Obama's diet, joking that "every piece of lettuce he eats has to be perfect, and I'm not that choosy.”

Critics used the opportunity to repost classic photos of Trump’s McDonald's meals, pointing out the irony of a self-proclaimed fast-food and Diet Coke connoisseur claiming to be physically superior to a notoriously active, health-conscious former president.

While Jackson served in the White House Medical Unit during the George W. Bush administration, he was not Bush's primary physician.

Obama appointed him as the lead Physician to the President in 2013, and he later served as Trump's physician.

Jackson’s own behavior was the subject of a major Department of Defense Office of the Inspector General (IG) investigation.

The extensive probe, which concluded in 2021, validated multiple allegations regarding his misuse of alcohol and professional misconduct during his time as the lead White House physician under the Obama and Trump administrations.

The investigation substantiated that Jackson drank alcohol while on White House duty, made "sexual and denigrating" comments about a female medical subordinate and pounded on her hotel room door late at night, and drank alcohol to excess during an official trip to Argentina.

The report noted that Jackson routinely took prescription-strength Ambien on long-distance flights while on duty, raising serious concerns among medical staff regarding his cognitive ability to provide emergency care to the president if needed.

Trump has frequently used the glowing health report at rallies and events to contrast himself with his political rivals and praise Jackson, who now serves as a Republican U.S. Congressman from Texas.

An exhausted looking Trump visited Texas for two back-to-back rallies in Corpus Christi and Lubbock to boost support for Texas Republicans, including Attorney General Ken Paxton's competitive U.S. Senate race.

While Trump boasted about his physical superiority, a clip from the Corpus Christi rally went viral on social media. While introducing Paxton, Trump froze, stretched the syllable into "Ken Paaaa—", then trailed off and pivoted to a different sentence.

Critics aggressively shared the clip as counter-evidence to his health claims. Many users questioned his mental sharpness, calling the moment "glitchy" and arguing that the 80-year-old president's frequent onstage stumbles contradict Jackson's dubious evaluation.

Dr. Bandy X. Lee, a top psychiatrist who previously organized an open letter with dozens of medical professionals regarding Trump's mental fitness, raised a stark new alarm on Tuesday, October 27. Commenting on his behavior in the immediate run-up to the midterm elections, Lee claimed that Trump's conduct is so troubling that he "needs hospital-level care.”