Image by YouTube

Harold Bornstein, President-elect Donald Trump’s doctor, already seemed a peculiar figure before the election, writing a letter in which he claimed his patient would be the healthiest American leader ever. That impression has been borne out in a recent media interview with the famous physician. “If something happens to him, then it happens to him,” Bornstein, trained as a gastroenterologist and working on the Upper East Side, told Stat News. “It’s like all the rest of us, no? That’s why we have a vice president and a speaker of the House and a whole line of people. They can just keep dying.”

Trump’s doctor attacked Obamacare, discussed his Jewish ancestry and said that he gave Hillary Clinton’s internist, Lisa Bardack, a Trump pin when he ran into her before the election. He described the former Democratic hopeful as an “old lady.”

Bornstein’s greatest rant, however, might have been the press itself. After he was interviewed, he threatened Stat News’ reporter, saying that he would ruin the journalist’s career if the story was published.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

“I happen to have known the Sulzbergers for 50 years,” he said, referring to the family that owns The New York Times. “I’m going to make sure you don’t ever work again if you do this.”

Contact Daniel J. Solomon at solomon@forward.com or on Twitter @DanielJSolomon

A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

With your support, we’ll be ready for whatever 2025 brings.

$36 $500

$120 $180 Other amount