President Donald Trump told reporters while on Air Force One Friday night that he had a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan as part of his “standard” physical last month and that “the result was outstanding.”
Newsweek reached out to the White House via email Friday night for comment.
Why It Matters
The comments from Trump, 79, spark renewed focus on presidential health transparency and medical protocols for U.S. leaders. The absence of immediate details on the specific purpose of the MRI, combined with the president’s repeated assertions of exceptional health, has generated lingering questions about both necessity and clarity in presidential health reporting.
What To Know
Trump confirmed to reporters that he received an MRI while at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in October as part of a “very standard” physical. He characterized the procedure as routine. “Getting an MRI is very standard. What, you think I shouldn’t have it? Other people get it … I had an MRI. The doctor said it was the best result he has ever seen as a doctor,” the president said on Friday.
When asked which part of his body was specifically assessed by the scan, Trump said, “I have no idea what they analyzed, but whatever they analyzed, they analyzed it well, and they said that I had as good a result as they’ve ever seen.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt previously said that Trump underwent “advanced imaging” at Walter Reed as part of his “routine physical” and “remains in exceptional physical health” after review by attending radiologists and consultants.
Trump’s October MRI was the second formal health evaluation he has undergone this year. In July, the White House disclosed he had been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, a condition common in older adults.
What People Are Saying
Mehdi Hasan, progressive commentator and journalist, on X Friday: “Donald Trump says he does not know why he had an MRI. How is this not 25th Amendment territory?”
Symone D. Sanders Townsend, MSNBC co-host, on X Friday: “This is not routine. Why did the President need an MRI?”
Former Republican Congressman Joe Walsh, also on X Friday: “It’s really something. The greatest country in the history of the world twice elected the most stupid, most ignorant, biggest idiot in the history of the world.”
What Happens Next
The president’s health, given his age and status as one of the nation’s oldest to serve, will likely remain a subject of public scrutiny as he continues his second term.
Update 11/14/25, 10:34 p.m. ET: This article and headline have been updated with additional information.