White House Releases Trump’s October MRI Results Amid Intensified Health Transparency Battle

WASHINGTON — The White House on Monday publicly released details of President Donald Trump’s October MRI scan, declaring the results “perfectly normal” just hours after the 79-year-old commander-in-chief told reporters he had “no idea” which part of his body had been imaged.

During Monday’s press briefing, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt read aloud a medical memo from Trump’s physician, Dr. Sean Barbabella of Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. The memo stated that cardiovascular and abdominal imaging showed no arterial narrowing, no abnormalities in the heart or major blood vessels, and no evidence of inflammation or clotting. Major abdominal organs were described as “very healthy and well-perfused,” with no acute or chronic concerns identified.

The procedure, conducted in October, was characterized as routine preventative screening recommended for men in Trump’s age group.

The disclosure came one day after Trump, speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Florida, appeared confused about the scan. When asked about the purpose of the October MRI, the president responded, “I have no idea what it was for, to be honest with you.”

That remark immediately fueled Democratic criticism, led by Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who has emerged as one of Trump’s most vocal antagonists since the president referred to him in a Thanksgiving Truth Social post as “the seriously retarded Governor of Minnesota.”

Appearing Sunday on NBC’s Meet the Press, Walz seized on the president’s comment, asking rhetorically: “Has anyone in the history of the world ever had an MRI assigned to them and have no idea what it was for?” The governor went further, asserting that Trump is “fading physically” and raising fresh questions about the president’s “mental capacity” only weeks before he becomes the oldest person ever to begin a second, non-consecutive term.

Democratic lawmakers quickly echoed Walz’s demand for full transparency, with some calling for release of the actual images — a step the White House declined to take on Monday.

Trump, who turned 79 in June, has faced recurring scrutiny over his health throughout his second campaign and transition period. In July, the White House acknowledged that the president had been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency after visible swelling appeared in his lower legs during public appearances. Persistent bruising on his right hand — repeatedly photographed in recent months — has been officially attributed to frequent handshaking and daily low-dose aspirin taken for cardiovascular protection.

Monday’s MRI marked Trump’s second documented physical examination of 2025, following an April checkup that the White House described at the time as “unremarkable.”

While the administration insisted the release was part of its commitment to transparency, the timing — coming less than 24 hours after Trump’s Air Force One admission and amid a weekend of Democratic attacks — underscored the politically charged atmosphere surrounding the president’s health as he prepares to take the oath of office for the second time on January 20.

Neither the White House nor Dr. Barbabella has indicated whether additional medical records or imaging will be made public before Inauguration Day. For now, the administration is standing by its characterization of the president as being in robust health, even as critics continue to question whether the oldest person ever elected to the presidency is fully fit for another four years in the world’s most demanding job.