President Donald Trump has publicly verified that he had an MRI scan earlier this month at Walter Reed Medical Center, which the White House first called a standard medical checkup. The news ends weeks of conjecture about what kind of medical visit he had recently.
The 79-year-old president told reporters on Air Force One as he flew from Malaysia to Japan about the details of his checkup.
Trump claimed, “I got an MRI, and it was perfect,” but he didn’t say why the sophisticated scan was requested.
Health Concerns During Talks for a Third Term
This month, there was talk about Trump’s political future, specifically the potential of him running for a third term in 2028.
Trump did not say that he would not run for a third term when reporters asked him about it. He said, “I would love to do it.” My stats are the finest they’ve ever been. But when asked if he would think about running for Vice President, he was clear: he would not be a running mate.
The president is now being asked the same health-related questions that he often asked his former opponent, 82-year-old Democrat Joe Biden, during the 2024 campaign. Biden eventually pulled out of the race after being diagnosed with cancer.
The Unanswered Questions About “Advanced Imaging”
There has been more talk about Trump’s health lately because people had seen bruises on his hands and swollen ankles while he was out in public.
After Trump’s visit to Walter Reed on October 10, the White House sent out a short memo saying that he had had “advanced imaging, laboratory testing, and preventative health assessments.”
When asked last week by the press secretary Karoline Leavitt to explain the word “advanced imaging,” she would not say if an MRI was done, simply that such exams are “routine for presidents.” Leavitt said that the doctor’s note said the president was “incredibly good shape,” but he wouldn’t say anything else.
But Trump chose to ignore the worries directly. “We had an MRI… you know the whole thing.” And it was flawless, he said, adding that his physicians told him that his results were “some of the best reports they’ve ever seen for someone my age.”
The White House has already said that the president has chronic venous insufficiency, which is a common ailment in older persons that can make their legs swell.