Interview With Former Michigan Congressman Pete Hoekstra
KEILAR: We're back with a Donald Trump adviser, former Congressman Peter Hoekstra. He is going to stand by for us, because we're going to quickly take a closer look at Donald Trump's health. The Republican presidential nominee's medical history is under new scrutiny after he and his allies have been aggressively spreading unproven rumors that Hillary Clinton is ill. Our chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, is here to help us figure out what's going on here. What do we know about Donald Trump's health, Sanjay?</s>DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Brianna, there's not a lot that we know. We're picking up little tidbits from the campaign trail from the candidate himself, and then just a little bit more, it's fair to say, from his doctor.</s>GUPTA (voice-over): This presidential election, many spin doctors are posing as real doctors.</s>TRUMP: She also lacks the mental and physical stamina.</s>GUPTA: But when it comes the strength and stamina or anything else, what do we really know about Donald Trump's health? For someone so public, we have only been able to gather hints from the campaign trail. Like most candidates, he likes to brag about sleep, or lack of it.</s>TRUMP: I'm not a big sleeper. I like three hours, four hours, I toss, I turn, I think. I want to find out what's going on.</s>GUPTA: His brother Fred died of alcoholism and that left a real impression on him.</s>TRUMP: Never had a glass of alcohol. And yet I own the largest winery on the East Coast. It's a crazy thing. But that's all right.</s>GUPTA: Golf is his exercise, and he doesn't shy away from fast food.</s>TRUMP: I think all of those places, Burger King, McDonald's, I can live with them. The other night, I had Kentucky Fried Chicken, not the worst thing in the world.</s>GUPTA: The only real document we have is this letter from his personal physician, Dr. Harold Bornstein.</s>DOUGLAS BRINKLEY, CNN PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN: The trick about releasing medical information is that the candidates, or, in this case, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, get to have their own physician. If it is your own personal physician and friend, they're obviously going to try to write a little more spirited note on your behalf.</s>GUPTA: What struck me as a doctor is the language used. "A recent medical exam showed only positive results." In medicine, positive results can mean a negative outcome. Details, such as normal blood pressure and that he takes a daily aspirin and statin are important, but don't tell you anything about his overall health now. Dr. Bornstein signs the letter as a fellow of the American College of Gastroenterologists. But when we spoke to the association, they said he hadn't been a member there in more than 20 years. And despite signing on behalf Lenox Hill Hospital's Division of Gastroenterology, he is not listed on staff and just has admitting privileges at the hospital. And finally the letter ends with -- quote -- "If elected, Mr. Trump, I can state unequivocally, will be the healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency." That of course is simply unknowable. Part of the problem, letters like the add more questions than answers and provide even more fuel for those spin doctors.</s>GUPTA: I will tell you as well, Brianna, that some of the formal medical organizations, like the American Psychiatric Association, have come out and talked about this as they have in the past. They have really cautioned doctors, saying basically unless you have had direct contact with the person, the patient, the candidate in this case, you really shouldn't be saying anything at all, whether it is their physical health, psychological health or anything, Brianna.</s>KEILAR: It is good advice. All right, Dr. Sanjay Gupta for us, thank you so much. Let's back now to a Donald Trump national security adviser and former Congressman Pete Hoekstra with us now. You have been hearing this debate happen, Congressman. Do you think that Donald Trump should release more medical records?</s>HOEKSTRA: Well, I think what happens here, as your previous guest just said, the problem the you have is that you have the doctors, their personal doctors releasing the information. Unless you go in another direction, I'm not sure we are going to get much more insights into Donald Trump's or Hillary Clinton's health with more disclosure at this point. My preference is, focus on other issues. You establish the baseline health of the two candidates and you move on.</s>KEILAR: And speak to a little bit of sort of what they have both been through over the last year. In a way, this is sort of a health test in itself.</s>HOEKSTRA: Absolutely. I mean, I have run statewide here in Michigan. It is an endurance test. And anyone who has gone through the last 12 months of a campaign, a presidential campaign, a national campaign has clearly demonstrated the capability and a certain basic level of health that they have energy, that they have the capacity and the mental stamina to be president of the United States.</s>KEILAR: Yes, I will tell you, covering it, I certainly felt it even physically. You just start to break down in terms of your health, in terms of getting colds and that kind of thing. Your immune system just isn't what it is. I do want to ask you about where we're seeing Donald Trump pop up. He has a rally shortly in Austin, Texas. He is going to Mississippi tomorrow. We're 77 days out from the election. Why is he campaigning in reliably red states and not focusing more of his time, a bigger proportion of his time in states that are going to be decisive for him?</s>HOEKSTRA: Well, I think, it is 77 days out. He's been in Michigan a couple of times in the last two weeks. He spoke in Detroit. He was back again last week. Mike Pence has been in Michigan. I'm glad they're spending that much time in Michigan. And I think they're just trying to make sure that they balance out the campaign. You never take anything for granted. Yes, we're not going to lose Mississippi, we're not going to lose Texas. But at the same time, you're going into those states because you want to energize your base. If you energize your base, you also have the capacity -- excuse me -- you also have the capacity on raise additional funds for the campaign. So you meld all of those things together and you develop a national schedule as to where you're going to be, who you're going to be talking to. And you will probably be covering the speech of Mr. Trump in Texas and Mississippi. He will get some national coverage and some national exposure with that. But, yes, once we get to Labor Day, I expect that we will see him in the states that you're talking about, Iowa, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida. Can't spend all of his time in those states, but he will spend a vast majority of his time in those kinds of states.</s>KEILAR: More important, though, right, that he pops up on the front page of those papers in those states, those local papers, than say, "The New York Times."</s>HOEKSTRA: Absolutely. There is an invaluable -- it's invaluable to be seen in the Detroit newspapers, the Detroit media. That goes all across Michigan. And, so, yes, he does have to, and he will be. And like I said, he has been here in Michigan. And he is putting in a good effort along with Mike Pence. So, again, I think that is where you will see them.</s>KEILAR: Yes. He has got a fight in Michigan. I'm sure it sounds like you're lobbying to get him back there. So, maybe he's taking notice. Congressman Pete Hoekstra, thank you so much for being with us.</s>HOEKSTRA: Great. Thank you.</s>KEILAR: And just ahead, more on the fight over which presidential nominee is healthier, Hillary Clinton joking about the unproven rumors being spread that about her by Republicans.</s>CLINTON: Here. You take my pulse while I'm talking to you. So, make sure I'm alive.</s>JIMMY KIMMEL, HOST, "JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE": Oh, my God. There's nothing there.</s>CLINTON: There's nothing there.