‘I feel very confident the president of the United States is in good shape, is going to serve out the remainder of his term,’ the vice president says.
Vice President JD Vance said in an interview that President Donald Trump is in “incredibly good health” but that he’s prepared to be the commander-in-chief if required.
“Yes, terrible tragedies happen,” Vance told USA Today, responding to a question about the prospect of him being forced to replace Trump.
“But I feel very confident the president of the United States is in good shape, is going to serve out the remainder of his term and do great things for the American people.
“And if, God forbid, there’s a terrible tragedy, I can’t think of better on-the-job training than what I’ve gotten over the last 200 days.”
Trump, who turned 79 in June, became the oldest person to be sworn in as president in January.
In July, the White House said that Trump was diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, a common condition among older adults that impacts the veins.
White House physician Sean Barbabella said in a memo that Trump also had bruising on his hands that is “consistent with minor soft tissue irritation from frequent handshaking,” calling it “benign and common.”
“The president is in incredibly good health,” Vance told USA Today, adding that the president is the “last person making phone calls at night, and he’s the first person who wakes up and the first person making phone calls in the morning.”
Aside from the president’s age and health, Trump was also the target of two assassination attempts last year.
In July 2024, Trump was shot through the right ear during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, by a gunman perched on a nearby rooftop.
Two months later, Secret Service officials helped stop a man with a rifle who was hiding in the bushes near Trump’s Florida golf course. The suspect, Ryan Wesley Routh, was later indicted by prosecutors on attempted assassination charges.
In the interview, Vance recalled setting foot in the Oval Office for the first time earlier this year.
“It was an amazing thing. I was overwhelmed by the grandeur of the office, all of the incredible history that had been made,” he told the outlet.
“But if I was being honest, it was the middle of winter, the drapes were closed. It was very dark. It had kind of a dark and gloomy feeling. This is the workplace of the leader of the free world. It should be a little brighter. I like what the president has done to it.”
Earlier this month, Trump suggested to reporters that Vance would “most likely” be his successor should he run for president in 2028, adding that he would “probably be favored at this point.”
“I think Marco is also somebody that maybe would get together with JD in some form,” Trump added, referring to Secretary of State and 2016 Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio.
“I also think we have incredible people, some of the people on the stage right here.”
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