A conservative columnist is pushing back hard against what he calls rampant hypocrisy in media coverage of presidential health, arguing that the same voices who dismissed concerns about Joe Biden’s cognitive decline are now demanding transparency from the White House about President Trump.
In a new piece for PJ Media, Matt Margolis takes aim at Dr. Jonathan Reiner, a cardiologist who once treated Dick Cheney and has become a frequent Democratic-leaning cable news commentator. Reiner recently authored a New York Times op-ed calling for radical transparency about the health of American leaders, with Trump central to his argument.
Reiner’s Claims Draw Skepticism
Margolis notes that Reiner pointed to bruising on Trump’s hands, swollen legs, and apparent drowsiness as evidence the White House is concealing serious medical problems, framing the president’s health as a national security matter. Trump turned 80 in June and is on track to become the oldest person to hold the office by the end of his term.
But Margolis emphasizes that Reiner conceded he is not Trump’s physician and has only reviewed publicly available information. Reiner also acknowledged Trump is likely the most photographed president in history, making it difficult to hide obvious symptoms.
A Contrast in Standards
The column’s central complaint is Reiner’s alleged double standard. In February 2024, five months before Biden dropped out of the presidential race, Biden’s personal physician, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, declared the then-81-year-old president fit for duty, stating he felt well and identified no new concerns while fully executing his responsibilities without exemptions or accommodations.
At the time, Reiner told CNN that skipping a cognitive exam was probably the medically correct call, though he might have pushed for one anyway. He said he likely would have urged the reporting of such a test “from a political standpoint,” while noting the decision belonged to the patient and political advisors. Margolis interprets this as Reiner being more worried about optics than actual clinical concerns.
Margolis argues that conservative media had documented troubling incidents involving Biden for years before 2024, yet Reiner did not call for more transparency then. The columnist accuses Reiner and similar figures of vouching for Biden’s cognitive fitness until his debate performance forced a change of tune.
A Pattern of Partisan Diagnosing
The column also recalls Trump’s first term, when doctors who never examined him appeared on cable news to question his fitness. Margolis notes the same people later vouched for Biden’s cognitive capacity until it became untenable.
Margolis is blunt in his assessment: “No one who defended Biden’s cognitive health has any business diagnosing Trump now.” He argues Reiner’s earlier defense of Biden disqualifies him from commenting on a president he has never treated.
The piece acknowledges broader concerns about transparency, noting that Sen. Mitch McConnell’s health situation after a summer hospitalization drew criticism from both parties, including from PJ Media itself. But Margolis sees a clear asymmetry: Biden received years of cover, while Trump faces scrutiny from commentators whose credibility he questions.
Margolis, a conservative commentator whose work has been cited on Fox News and national talk radio programs, concludes that the charade is exhausting and that the medical experts playing political roles have revealed their priorities.
Source: pjmedia.com — https://pjmedia.com/matt-margolis/2026/08/12/im-sick-of-the-hypocrisy-over-presidential-health-n4956073
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