President Donald Trump has pushed back strongly against renewed speculation about his health, saying there is “nothing wrong” and insisting that recent medical imaging conducted at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center was routine and precautionary.
In an interview with The Wall Street Journal published Thursday, the 79-year-old president addressed public reaction to reports that he underwent cardiovascular and abdominal imaging during a secondary physical examination last fall. Trump suggested the scrutiny was unnecessary and fueled by misinterpretation.
“I would have been a lot better off if they didn’t, because the fact that I took it said, ‘Oh gee, is something wrong?’” Trump said. “Well, nothing’s wrong.”
Trump clarified that the imaging performed in October was not an MRI, as previously reported by some outlets.
“It wasn’t an MRI,” he said. “It was less than that. It was a scan.”
The comments mark a partial clarification of earlier remarks Trump made to reporters in late October, when he said he had undergone both a cognitive test and an MRI during his visit to Walter Reed, describing the MRI at the time as “perfect.” He did not then explain the reason for the imaging.
Trump’s physician, Dr. Sean Barbabella, later addressed the issue in a medical memo released amid growing public scrutiny. Barbabella said the cardiovascular and abdominal imaging was conducted “because men in his age group benefit from a thorough evaluation of cardiovascular and abdominal health,” calling the examination “standard for an executive physical at President Trump’s age.”
According to Barbabella, the imaging results were “perfectly normal,” and the president was found to be in “excellent overall health.”
Following the Journal interview, Barbabella issued an additional statement emphasizing that medical staff had recommended a second physical in October “to ensure continued optimal health.”
“As part of that examination, we asked the President if he would undergo advanced imaging – either an MRI or CT Scan – to definitively rule out any cardiovascular issues,” Barbabella said. “The President agreed, and our team of consultants performed a CT Scan. As we revealed in the post-examination report, the advanced imaging was perfectly normal and revealed absolutely no abnormalities.”
Barbabella added that Trump’s test results showed “excellent metabolic health” and suggested his cardiovascular condition “puts him 14 years younger than his age.”
Despite those assurances, Trump has faced heightened attention over his health since disclosing the imaging last fall. As the oldest president currently serving in the White House, questions about age and physical fitness have remained a persistent topic in national political discourse.
The Journal also reported that Trump’s doctors have recommended he take a smaller dose of aspirin for cardiac prevention, citing concerns over easier bruising as the president manages superficial chronic venous insufficiency.
Health and age concerns were a major theme during the 2024 election cycle as well, particularly following former President Joe Biden’s widely criticized debate performance against Trump, which sparked calls for Biden to abandon a second White House bid.
Responding to the renewed focus on Trump’s health, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president has been fully transparent.
“President Trump has nothing to hide,” Leavitt said, calling him “the most transparent and open president in history,” while contrasting him with Biden, “who hid from the press and lied about his clear physical and mental decline.”
“The President’s physicians and the White House have always maintained the President received advanced imaging,” Leavitt added.
