In Sep. 2016, in the heat of the general election battle, the issues of health was raised among the two presidential candidates and much was focused on and speculated about Hillary Clinton all across the media.
Medical determinations of Mrs. Clinton being the victim of Parkinson’s disease and issues with a bout of pneumonia had real and arm-chair physicians appearing on TV interviews and typing away on their blogs.
Clearly, no one can make a diagnosis from afar, and a medical professional shouldn’t try, because it stirs unnecessary controversy and conspiracy.
On Sept. 13, a Senior Editor for the New Republic, Jeet Heer, rightly denounced the speculations of Mrs Clinton’s health, albeit from a gender angle.
However, a short five months later, it appears the New Republic now believes it’s okay to publish speculation about President Trump’s health in an article by Dr. Steven Beutler.
In his piece, Dr. Beutler, an infectious disease specialist, lays out his theory for Donald Trump’s behavior–Neurosyphilis.
Beutler notes his observations of Mr. Trump’s behavior comparing it with the symptoms of the late-stage of the sexually transmitted infection. He also admits his diagnosis is not conclusive (duh?).
Does Trump suffer from this condition? I cannot, of course, establish this diagnosis from a distance. There’s a great deal of information I don’t have access to, which could be critical in reaching the correct conclusion. In Trump’s case, there are many diagnostic possibilities, and we have very little background information because the slim medical summary he released was vague, unverifiable, and possibly outdated.
He later in the article discusses Trump’s past sexual history that also leads him to his unsubstantiated theory.
Really? Is this what a medical professional should be writing about in any publication? One has to ask, what are Dr. Beutler’s motives?
As for the New Republic, shame on you for publishing this sensationalist, unsubstantiated, conspiratorial article (the exact nonsense you excoriated a few short months ago) and shame on you for the hypocrisy.
Related:
- Sexually Transmitted Infections: Those common and those not so common, Part 1
- Donald Trump quotes: Vaccines, Ebola and Universal Health Care
- Vaccines are safe. Vaccines are effective. Vaccines save lives. –Letter to President Trump
Toxic Trump Derangement Syndrome has reached epidemic proportions among staff at The New Republic.
As an infectious disease specialist he should know that Trump is NOT suffering from neurosyphilis. An infected brain would have a completely different clinical picture.
If Dr. Steven Beutler says it’s possible, I’ll listen. He has the medical pedigree to know what he’s talking about. His father was one of the most respected and recognized Hematologists and Oncologists in the country, his brother Dr. Bruce Beutler received the Nobel Prize in Physiology, his sister, Dr. Debbie Beutler, is a highly rated internal medicine specialist in Pasadena Ca, and Dr. Steven Beutler himself has over 43 years experience as an infectious disease specialist. So, when people make asinine comments like the two above, without knowing anything about the man, it is important to establish some background. One, Trump has a history of sleeping with prostitutes, porn stars, and playboy bunnies. Two, he has a history of cheating on his wives. Three, he has a deep connection to the sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein (seriously, go watch the videos of him and Epstein where Trump is literally picking out the girls from a group). And finally, listen to his Howard Stern interviews where he brags about his lascivious lifestyle in the 1980’s and how he “knows” he exposed himself to STD’s. If you actually read Dr Beutler’s article, you’d know he proposes a “theory” to explain Trump’s extremely bizarre behavior. His “theory,” not proven diagnosis, is based on his incredible 43 year medical background specializing in infectious diseases, and his life-long immersion in the medical profession.
Neurosyphilis is treatable with Penn G and probenecid. Trump’s doctors would be well aware, and Steve Beutler would know that…knowing Dr Beutler to be an honorable man and an old friend, I have to believe his comments were taken out of context.