NYT To Both Candidates: Release Your Health Records

From the editorial board of the New York Times:

In recent years, presidents and presidential candidates have been more forthcoming about their health than their predecessors. Franklin D. Roosevelt, a polio survivor, was seldom photographed in his wheelchair, and in his last re-election campaign concealed the cardiovascular disease that would kill him within a year. John F. Kennedy struggled with a debilitating back injury and denied he had Addison’s disease, a serious adrenal gland disorder.

By contrast, in 1985 Ronald Reagan openly discussed the colon cancer that required doctors to remove two feet of intestine. In 2008, John McCain gave reporters access to hundreds of pages of records that ended questions about health issues, including melanoma, linked to his Vietnam-era captivity. In 2014, President Obama volunteered that he’d had a persistent sore throat checked out, and the diagnosis was acid reflux. The issue was addressed before anyone asked about it.

Now Americans are deciding between Mr. Trump, who is 70, and Mrs. Clinton, who is 68. Whoever prevails will have to deal with round-the-clock demands, so it seems entirely relevant to inquire about their medical histories and current health.

On Monday, a spokesman for Mrs. Clinton said she would release additional health information in coming days. For his part, Mr. Trump said he would make public “very, very specific” records, a remarkable promise coming from someone who has resolutely stonewalled on his tax returns. Should both candidates honor these pledges, and provide plenty of detail, the winners will be the voters.