WASHINGTON — President Trump let slip to reporters Monday that he underwent an MRI during a checkup at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center earlier this month, calling the results “perfect.”
“I did. I got an MRI. It was perfect,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Tokyo.
“I gave you the full results. We had an MRI, and the machine, you know, the whole thing, and it was perfect,” Trump said, before encouraging reporters to “ask the doctors” about the reason for the scan.
The president underwent his “annual physical examination” on April 11, according to the White House. Then on Oct. 10, he returned to Walter Reed for what was described as his “routine yearly check-up” after visiting with wounded service members.
Questions had swirled at the time about why the second visit to Walter Reed was necessary. Typically, presidents receive a single comprehensive exam each year.
“I think they gave you a very conclusive — nobody has ever given you reports like I gave you,” Trump continued. “And if I didn’t think it was going to be good, either, I would let you know negatively, I wouldn’t run. I’d do something. But the doctor said some of the best reports for the age.”
MRIs are used to detect conditions and medical issues ranging from tumors to muscle tears to bone fractures.
Over the summer, the White House revealed that Trump had been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, which causes swelling in the ankles and legs.
Trump is the oldest man ever elected to the presidency and the second-oldest commander-in-chief in US history after former President Joe Biden. If the Republican serves out his full four-year term, he will take that record from Biden.
White House physician Dr. Sean Barbabella described Trump as being in “excellent health” following his April exam and repeated that assessment after the October checkup — noting that the president underwent “advanced imaging” and “preventive health assessments” without specifying an MRI.
“President Trump continues to demonstrate excellent overall health,” Barbabella wrote. “His cardiac age-a validated measure of cardiovascular vitality via ECG-was found to be approximately 14 years younger than his chronological age.
“He continues to maintain a demanding daily schedule.”
