President Donald Trump on Tuesday claimed during a speech in Alaska that he has never had the flu, even though the chances of that being true are slim.
Despite the claims being debunked, Trump seemed to want to inject new life into conspiracy theories.
“What the hell happened to him for 14 days?” Trump asked, even though Talarico was reportedly off the campaign trail for nine days. “What happened? Tala-freako. What happened to him? He said he had the flu for 12 to 14 days. I never had the flu for 14 days. Actually, I never had the flu. How lucky am I?”
The president is likely fudging or unaware ― although it’s not completely impossible to avoid the flu.
A study released in 2015 that took blood samples from volunteers 7 to 81 years old determined that children got the flu every other year on average but after age 30 the rate declined to twice a decade. In addition, 8% of people who actually have had the influenza virus did not experience symptoms, according to a study cited by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Flu vaccines were available to civilians in 1946, the year Trump was born, which could decrease severe symptoms.
The president’s weight, bruised hands, swollen ankles and apparent penchant for nodding off have generated concern, The Washington Post noted. But he declared himself in perfect health after his physical exam in May.
Trump contracted COVID-19 during the pandemic and faced serious consequences that were not publicly acknowledged at the time, The New York Times reported in February 2021.