Editor’s note: The views expressed by guest columnists are not necessarily those of The Costa Rica Star, its advertisers, or its staff.

Much to the chagrin of President Donald Trump’s forever critics, the president’s doctor has given him a clean bill of health physically and mentally as he completes his first year in office. At the end of January this president will give his first State-of-the-Union address to the American people during a joint-session of the U.S. Congress also attended by the Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court. During the address all three branches of government – Legislative, Executive and Judicial — come together to hear the president’s assessment of the overall health of the USA.

What’s interesting to note is the president’s personal physician Dr. Ronny L. Jackson gave President Trump a complete and through physical and mental exam with the results released to the public within a few days of the exams. The cognitive exam to screen for neurological impairment given to President Trump was totally at the discretion of the president who insisted being given the mental tests to counter his forever critics that claim he is “unfit for office.” The president’s doctor said he made a perfect score on these mental exams, according to the New York Times.

Dr. Jackson, 50, a U.S. Navy Rear Admiral, was also former President Obama’s White House physician. It’s quite usual for an incoming president to select his own doctor, but this time President Trump stayed with Dr. Jackson and for good reason. This highly-decorated-career officer has served as an emergency medical doctor is war zones such as Iraq along with service around the world. He’s seen it all. Why pick another doctor when you got the best there is.

The president’s doctor presented his findings during the daily reporter’s briefing in the White House Press Room on Tuesday. According to news reports, President Trump requested that Dr. Jackson be allowed at the podium to answer any and all questions about his physical or mental health for however long that took.

“I’ve found no reason whatsoever to think the president has any issues whatsoever with his thought processes,” Dr. Jackson said. The doctor went to say that he has had near daily contact with President Trump since he took office and had observed him closely over this time. In responses to questions about television news reports claiming Trump to be unfit, Jackson said, “In my opinion, that’s just tabloid psychiatry.”

Instead, Dr. Jackson said the president is in “excellent overall” health but needs to lose some weight, exercise more and lower his cholesterol. That’s it. That’s all there is. Not even a hint of anything wrong with President Trump physically or mentally.

“I think he will remain fit for duty for the remainder of this term and even the remainder of another term if he is elected,” Dr. Jackson said to a reporter from CNN.

Nevertheless congressional Democrats are lining up saying they will not attend President Trump’s State-of-the-Union address on Jan. 30 in protest of a president they see is “unfit for office.” It’s the same old cast of characters that criticize President Trump day-in and day-out. So far five house Democrats say they will boycott the address – Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-FL), Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA), Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WASH), Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) and Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR). You look at these names – the loud mouths of the Democratic Party — and you just can’t help but wonder how they would score on the same mental tests given to President Trump.

Politicizing and boycotting State-of-the-Union addresses over time is nothing new. History shows as recently as 2016, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) blew off former President Obama’s last State-of-the-Union address along with three conservative Supreme Court Judges – Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and the late Antonin Scalia. It’s reported that Scalia missed more than a dozen State-of-the-Unions calling the event “a childish spectacle.”

With President Trump at the podium addressing the nation — State-of-the-Union 2018 is sure to be a political spectacle with Trump reviewing his accomplishments during his first year in office and revealing his dreams for America in the coming year, but is this a true assessment of the state of America? There’s not been much progress with inner-city gun violence, drug overdoses, homelessness and attacks upon police. Probably and sadly not much will be said about the real State-of-the-Union.

About the Author Britt Nelson relocated to Costa Rica in 2011 from Florida, where he served as news editor for the Palatka Daily News, a newspaper owned by the New York Times Regional Newspaper Group (NYT-RNG) for 20 years.

Nelson served the NYT-RNG for 18 years in Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina and Florida as a correspondent, reporter, staff writer, senior staff writer training new reporters, copy editor, page designer, editorial writer, editorial page editor and editorial board member.