

    Harris asks if Trump is "fit to do the job," highlighting questions about his health - CBS News
















Latest

U.S.


World


Politics


Entertainment


HealthWatch


MoneyWatch


Crime


Space


Sports


Brand Studio



Local News

Baltimore


Bay Area


Boston


Chicago


Colorado


Detroit


Los Angeles


Miami


Minnesota


New York


Philadelphia


Pittsburgh


Sacramento


Texas



Live

CBS News 24/7


Baltimore


Bay Area


Boston


Chicago


Colorado


Detroit


Los Angeles


Miami


Minnesota


New York


Philadelphia


Pittsburgh


Sacramento


Texas


48 Hours


60 Minutes



Shows

48 Hours


60 Minutes


America Decides


CBS Evening News


CBS Mornings


CBS Morning News


CBS Reports


CBS Saturday Morning


The Daily Report


The Dish


Eye on America


Face the Nation


Here Comes the Sun


Person to Person


Sunday Morning


The Takeout


The Uplift


Weekender






CBS News Investigates


CBS News Confirmed


CBS Village


Podcasts


In Depth


Newsletters


Download Our App


CBS News Team


Executive Team


Brand Studio


Paramount+


Join Our Talent Community


RSS Feeds


Davos Interviews


A Moment With...


Innovators & Disruptors


Economy 4.0























U.S.


World


Politics


HealthWatch


MoneyWatch


Entertainment


Crime


Sports








Watch CBS News












Politics

Harris asks if Trump is "fit to do the job," highlighting questions about his health




    By
                        
                      Caitlin Yilek


Updated on:  October 18, 2024 / 9:40 PM EDT
          / CBS News
        



















Early voting opens in Detroit 













As early voting opens in Detroit, Harris, Trump campaign in the battleground state of Michigan
03:34

Washington — Vice President Kamala Harris has increasingly questioned former President Donald Trump's ability to handle the demands of another four years in the White House as she seeks to contrast her age with Trump's. "I'm seeing that his team at least is saying he's suffering from exhaustion," Harris, who turns 60 on Sunday, told reporters in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on Friday. Harris was citing a Politico report that said several Trump interviews that were in the works had failed to come to fruition because the 78-year-old Republican nominee was "exhausted." A Trump campaign spokesperson told Politico that was "unequivocally false.""Look, being president of the United States is probably one of the hardest jobs in the world. And so we really do need to ask, if he's exhausted being on the campaign trail, is he fit to do the job? And I think that's an open-ended question and we need an answer," Harris said. Harris said it's a "legitimate question," adding, "it should be a concern if he can't handle the rigors of the campaign trail." 


Trump has yet to release his recent medical records, claiming Friday, "you've got them all." His campaign has said he's in "perfect and excellent health" to be president.  In November 2023, Trump shared a letter from his doctor of osteopathic medicine that said he had been examined in September 2023 and that his "overall health is excellent." The letter did not give specifics on his vitals or medications. "I've done five exams over the last four years," Trump told CBS News as he campaigned in Michigan. When pressed on whether he had actually released all of his medical records, Trump called on Harris to take a cognitive test. 


"Obviously, I'm in the middle of a very big and very contentious fight we're leading," he said. "I've given my health exams. I've also done cognitive tests twice, and I've aced them, meaning a perfect score. I want to see her do a cognitive test because she couldn't, because she wasn't born smart." Trump also said he's "gone 48 days now without a rest," adding, "I'm not even tired, I'm really exhilarated." If elected in November, Trump would be the oldest person to ever assume the Oval Office. Harris released a letter from her doctor last week that said she is in "excellent health" and "possesses the physical and mental resiliency" required to serve as president. Her physician, Dr. Joshua Simmons, said Harris' latest blood work and other test results were "unremarkable," and that she has no personal history of high blood pressure, diabetes, cardiac disease, neurological disorders or other serious conditions. He noted that she has a history of allergies and urticaria, also known as hives, for which she has been on allergen immunotherapy for the past three years.In a recent letter, more than 230 doctors, nurses and health care professionals, most of whom are backing Harris, called on Trump to release his health records, arguing he was "displaying alarming characteristics of declining acuity." Absent detailed records, the letter said, "we are left to extrapolate from public appearances."


Nidia Cavazos and 
                                                  
                                  Caitlin Huey-Burns
                  
        contributed to this report. 
      



Election 2024

              More
              






How Trump's support among men reshaped the political landscape







Harris declines to invite Vance for courtesy visit to VP's residence







Congress certifies Trump's 2024 victory, 4 years after Capitol attack







Capitol Hill lawmakers experiencing surge of swatting calls, bomb threats







Electoral College meets to cast ballots in 2024 election





            More
            
In:
          Kamala Harris
Donald Trump
2024 Elections

Caitlin Yilek


Caitlin Yilek is a politics reporter at CBSNews.com, based in Washington, D.C. She previously worked for the Washington Examiner and The Hill, and was a member of the 2022 Paul Miller Washington Reporting Fellowship with the National Press Foundation.



                      Twitter
                    





© 2024 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.




More from CBS News






          Trump signs executive order aimed at reducing IVF costs
        






          Trump says he may impose auto tariffs of around 25%
        






          Trump's pro-union pick for labor secretary to face confirmation hearing
        






          National Science Foundation fires 168 probationary employees
        




























Copyright ©2025 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved.
Privacy Policy
California Notice
Do Not Sell My Personal Information
Terms of Use
About
Advertise
Closed Captioning
CBS News Store
Site Map
Contact Us
Help


facebook




twitter




instagram




youtube



View CBS News In




CBS News App

Open





Chrome




Safari

Continue



Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.
Not Now
Turn On



His answer will be in the form of rambling on about sharks, windmills and lasagna.