Hillary vs Trump: Who is healthier of the two?

WASHINGTON: In Barack Obama and George Bush, the United States has had arguably two of the fittest, healthiest, and youngest back-to-back presidents in the country’s history. They were 47 and 54 respectively when they took office; both were outdoorsy and hit the gym regularly; and the White House took great pride in releasing their annual medical exam and health record showing them to be in fine fettle.

Things are about to get more complicated in Washington. Already shaping up to be among the most visceral presidential elections in history, the Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton camps are engaged in an ugly war over health and fitness issues of the candidates, who are among the two oldest presidential nominees America has seen.

Trump is already 70, Hillary Clinton is just shy of 69, and both will about 15 years older than the retired 55-year old Obama if and when either becomes President in what is being called ''America’s senior moment.''

Consequently, both campaigns are going to extraordinary lengths to show that their candidates are in fine fettle even as their supporters- more from the Trump side- are locked in a bruising battle to expose the ''frail health'' of the opposing candidate. Questionable testimonials, fake medical reports, and sly, manipulated photographs and videos are part of this propaganda and perception war.

Stray mishaps (such as a stumble while climbing steps) and medical episodes (such as a concussion from a fall or a blood clot) have been conflated by Trump troopers to suggest that Hillary Clinton is literally unfit to hold office. A twitter hashtag #HillaryHealthy is the one-stop shop for conspiracy theories and dramatic visuals about her health.

Clinton supporters in turn suggest Trump is not all there, pointing to his catatonic repetition of sentences, inability to articulate coherent ideas etc. A Clinton supporter had this to say under the corresponding hashtag #TrumpHealth: Trump always has a death grip on the podium. I think he fears falling. He is top heavy with a barrel chest.

Both sides have released testimonials from their personal physicians saying they are in good health.

Hillary Clinton is coming off worse in the exchanges, in part say her supporters, because her medical episodes have been more public and also because some of the attacks are sexist.

Back in 2012, Clinton fainted and suffered a concussion from a fall following a stomach virus infection. She was later diagnosed with a blood clot and put on anti-coagulants as a precaution.

On his part, Trump is said to take a low-dose statin and baby aspirin, seen as evidence that he worries about his heart.

But Trump supporters have gone on a digital rampage against Clinton, putting together visuals showing her in ''poor health.''

One such effort collates a dozen photographs of Clinton seated with a pillow behind her, purportedly because she has some back problem.

In a more recent hit, a Fox News host repeatedly played a clip of Clinton reeling back at a question during a gaggle with reporters and shaking her head vigorously, to ask (suggestively) if she has seizures or epilepsy, and wondering if it could be the aftereffects from her earlier concussion and blood clot.

Clarifications from the reporter who asked the question and from a physician that they saw no signs of seizure has not dimmed the ardor of Trump fans who believe Clinton is hiding her poor health.

Trump himself jumped into the fray this week, claiming Hillary Clinton ''lacks the mental and physical stamina to take on ISIS and all of the many adversaries we face,'' even as Clinton supporters punched holes in a poorly written testimonial from Trump’s physician declaring that he is in ''astonishingly good health'' and ''If elected, Mr. Trump, I can state unequivocally, will be the healthiest person ever elected to the presidency.''

Democrats countered that it was an ''astonishing fake'' assertion considering that it came from a gastroenterologist (and not an internist or a general physician), and what was Trump doing seeing a gastroenterologist in any case?

One thing is evident from the exchanges – the US Presidential election campaign is not in the best of health.