Harold Nelson Bornstein (March 26, 1947 – January 8, 2021) was an American gastroenterologist,[1] who was best known as Donald Trump's personal physician.[2][3][4] Bornstein was Donald Trump's personal physician from 1980 until early 2018; before then, Bornstein's father was his personal physician.[2]
Harold Bornstein | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | March 26, 1947 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | January 8, 2021 (aged 73) |
| Education | Tufts University (BS, MD) |
| Occupations |
|
| Known for | Donald Trump's personal physician |
| Spouse(s) |
Cynthia Ewing Callachan
(m. 1981, divorced)Melissa Brown |
| Children | 5 |
Early life and education
editHarold Nelson Bornstein was born on March 3, 1947 in New York City to Jacob, a physician, and Maida (née Seltzer) Bornstein.[5] Bornstein received his M.D. degree from Tufts University in 1975 and had been licensed to practice medicine in New York State since 1976.[6] He was certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine as a specialist in Internal Medicine (1978) and Gastroenterology (1983).[7]
He ultimately joined his father's practice and was on staff at Lenox Hill Hospital.[5]
Trump's personal physician role
editIn December 2015 in response to questions about his health, Trump asked Bornstein to issue a "full medical report", predicting that it would show "perfection".[8] Two days later Bornstein signed a letter full of superlatives, saying that Trump's "laboratory results are astonishingly excellent" and that Trump "will be the healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency."[9] In August 2016, Bornstein stated that he had written the letter in five minutes while Trump's limousine waited for it. But he reiterated that Trump's "health is excellent, especially his mental health."[10]
In May 2018 Bornstein said that, in fact, Trump had dictated the letter over the telephone, then sent a car to pick it up.[11] Bornstein said in an interview with CNN that "Mr. Trump dictated the letter and I would tell him what he couldn't put in there..."[12]
Speaking to The New York Times in February 2017, Bornstein revealed that he was invited to and attended President Trump's inauguration with his wife Melissa. Bornstein told The Times that he enjoyed the attention from being known as the President's personal physician.[13] According to Stat, Bornstein had hoped to be the physician to the president, but the White House decided that Ronny Jackson would continue in that role.[14]
On May 1, 2018, Bornstein told NBC News that three Trump representatives had "raided" his office on February 3, 2017, taking all of Trump's medical records. Bornstein said he felt "raped, frightened and sad" over the event. He identified two of the men as Trump's longtime bodyguard Keith Schiller and the Trump Organization's chief legal officer Alan Garten. Two days earlier, Bornstein had told a reporter that Trump took a prescription hair growth medicine, Propecia, after which Trump cut ties with him.[15]
Personal life and death
editBornstein was Jewish[16] and lived in Scarsdale, New York.[5] Bornstein was married three times: in 1981, Bornstein married his second wife Cynthia Ewing Callachan, in a ceremony officiated by the Protestant chaplain of Yale University, and he was most recently married to Melissa Brown.[17]The New York Times described Bornstein as "loquacious, hirsute and eccentric."[5]
Bornstein died on January 8, 2021 at the age of 73. The place and cause of death was not disclosed.[18][19] He was survived by his wife, Melissa, and five children.[5][20]
References
edit- ^ Seelye, Katharine Q. (January 14, 2021). "Harold N. Bornstein, Trump's Former Personal Physician, Dies at 73". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 14, 2021. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
- ^ a b Swetlitz, Ike (August 30, 2016). "From epic poet to Donald Trump's doctor: the story of 'Count Harold". Stat. Archived from the original on August 30, 2016. Retrieved January 5, 2017.
- ^ Swetlitz, Ike (December 21, 2016). "One-on-one with Trump's doctor: Hecklers, house calls, and why Obamacare must be shut down". Stat. Archived from the original on December 22, 2016. Retrieved January 5, 2017.
- ^ Devine, Curt (September 2016). "Trump's doctor to CNN: No regrets about controversial letter". CNN. Archived from the original on September 2, 2016. Retrieved January 5, 2017.
- ^ a b c d e Seelye, Katharine Q. (January 14, 2021). "Harold N. Bornstein, Trump's Former Personal Physician, Dies at 73". The New York Times. Retrieved June 9, 2024.
- ^ "License information: BORNSTEIN HAROLD N." Office of the Professions. State of New York. Archived from the original on September 23, 2020. Retrieved May 2, 2018.
- ^ "Harold Nelson Bornstein". American Board of Internal Medicine. Archived from the original on September 28, 2020. Retrieved October 29, 2019.
- ^ Bereson, Tessa (December 14, 2015). "Donald Trump's Health Is 'Astonishingly Excellent,' His Doctor Says". Time. Archived from the original on December 9, 2019. Retrieved May 2, 2018.
- ^ Hamblin, James (August 31, 2016). "The Bizarre Words of Donald Trump's Doctor". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on August 31, 2016. Retrieved May 2, 2018.
- ^ "Trump Doctor Wrote Health Letter in Just 5 Minutes as Limo Waited". NBC News. August 26, 2016. Archived from the original on August 26, 2016. Retrieved May 2, 2018.
- ^ "Exclusive: Bornstein claims Trump dictated the glowing health letter". CNN. May 1, 2018. Archived from the original on April 18, 2019. Retrieved May 2, 2018.
- ^ "Trump wrote own health letter, doctor says". BBC News. May 2, 2018. Archived from the original on May 8, 2019. Retrieved May 2, 2018.
- ^ Altman, Lawrence (February 2, 2017). "Donald Trump's Longtime Doctor Says President Takes Hair-Growth Drug". The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved February 2, 2017.
- ^ Scott, Dylan (February 2, 2017). "Trump is keeping Obama's White House doctor for now". Stat. Archived from the original on February 5, 2017. Retrieved February 4, 2017.
- ^ Schechter, Anna R. (May 1, 2018). "Trump doctor Harold Bornstein says bodyguard, lawyer 'raided' his office, took medical files". NBC News. Archived from the original on May 1, 2018. Retrieved May 2, 2018.
- ^ "Dr. Harold Bornstein, Trump's eccentric Jewish doctor, dead at 73". The Forward. January 14, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2024.
- ^ "Cynthia Callachan Bride Of Dr. Harold Bornstein". The New York Times. January 25, 1981. Retrieved June 9, 2024.
- ^ Forgey, Quint (January 14, 2021). "Harold Bornstein, Trump's eccentric ex-doctor, dies". POLITICO. Archived from the original on March 7, 2021. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
- ^ Seelye, Katharine Q. (January 14, 2021). "Harold N. Bornstein, Trump's Former Personal Physician, Dies at 73". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on January 14, 2021. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
- ^ Cole, Ben Tinker,Devan (January 14, 2021). "Dr. Harold Bornstein, Trump's former personal physician, dead at 73 | CNN Politics". CNN. Retrieved June 9, 2024.
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