Yep. It’s also somewhat a pose. Like that jaunty little walk he does... and those aviator sunglasses... these are things that consultants believe make him seem charming and he performs the rituals so often they just become jokes.
Janet Reno. 8 years. Didn’t stop her. One can function with Parkinson’s.
So why was it kept a secret for so long? I can see not telling passengers on a flight the pilot just had a heart attack but the VP doesn’t automatically take over.