Why Trump’s MRI tests and ‘healthy’ diagnosis raise more questions about his fitness

The rumours over US President Donald Trump’s health continue to swirl.

Since Trump returned to the White House in January, there have been a number of stories about his physical condition. This includes Trump, who at 79 is the oldest president of the United States ever sworn in, nodding off in meetings, bruises being seen on his hands that are covered with make-up, and swollen ankles.

Now, news about Trump’s recent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) test in October is raising more questions about his health than answers.

But what happened? What do we know?

Let’s take a closer look.

Questions surrounding Trump’s MRI in October

The White House on Sunday confirmed that Trump was administered “advanced imaging tests” in October. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that Trump underwent “advanced imaging” as part of his “routine physical examination”. Leavitt insisted that Trump remains in “exceptional physical health”.

This came on the same day that Trump announced that he was perfectly willing to release the results of his exam. “If you want to have it released, I’ll release it,” Trump told reporters while flying back to the White House. “Getting an MRI is very standard. What, you think I shouldn’t have it? Other people get it. I had an MRI.”

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Trump claimed the results were “perfect”, and that his physician had said that it was “the best result he has ever seen as a doctor”. Trump, interestingly, claimed he had no idea which body part was examined. “I have no idea. It was just an MRI — what part of the body? It wasn’t the brain, because I took a cognitive test and I aced it,” Trump said.

On Monday, Trump’s physician, Navy Captain Sean Barbabella, clarified that the US president underwent a preventive MRI in October. Barbabella added that the MRI results were “perfectly normal”. He said Trump underwent the MRI in October “because men of his age group benefit from thorough evaluation of cardiovascular and abdominal health”.

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Barbabella said the scan was undertaken “to identify issues early, confirm overall health, and ensure he maintains long-term vitality”. “Overall, his cardiovascular system shows excellent health. His abdominal imaging is also perfectly normal. All major organs appear very healthy and well-perfused,” Barbabella added.

Barbabella in October had described Trump’s test as a “scheduled follow-up evaluation”, which was “part of his ongoing health maintenance plan”. Trump had also received his yearly flu shot, as well as a Covid-19 booster vaccine. The White House had described the visit as a routine yearly check-up.

Trump in April underwent a comprehensive physical exam at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Trump, in the aftermath of the exam, was declared “fully fit” to serve as US president.

The three-page summary of the exam done by Barbabella noted that Trump had lost nine kilos since a medical exam in June 2020. It added that Trump enjoys an “active lifestyle” that “continues to contribute significantly” to the well-being of the president. Barbabella noted that the “president’s cardiovascular imaging is perfectly normal”.

He added that “his abdominal imaging is also perfectly normal. All major organs appear very healthy and well-perfused. Everything evaluated is functioning within normal limits with no acute or chronic concerns”.

Why this matters

A person without symptoms would not ordinarily have imaging tests as part of a routine medical exam. Trump, remember, had already completed his annual check-up in April.

Which raises the key question: why was an MRI carried out in October?

Physicians outside the White House have taken note.

Dr Jonathan Reiner, cardiologist and former physician to Dick Cheney, was quoted as saying by Yahoo News UK, “An MRI is never part of a routine evaluation, whether you’re President of the United States or whether you’re just a civilian.”

“Typically, MRIs are prompted by symptoms… neurologic symptoms… back pain… issues with the heart… For those reasons, the public should really be told why the president underwent the test, what consultants he saw, and what was the result,” Reiner added.

Reiner claimed the term ‘preventive’ is misleading and “indicates a clinical concern”.

Meanwhile, Dr Vin Gupta, public health physician, was quoted as saying by The Times of India: “Even if you are leader of the free world, you don’t just get an MRI without a clear reason… There’s no such thing as a ‘screening’ MRI.”

In short, the confusion about why Trump would need a follow-up test, particularly an MRI, remains.

Trump health issues

Trump has been dogged by concerns about his health the entire year.

In July, the White House announced that Trump had recently undergone a medical check-up after noticing “mild swelling” in his lower legs and was found to have a condition common in older adults that causes blood to pool in his veins.

Tests by the White House medical unit showed that Trump has chronic venous insufficiency, which occurs when small valves inside the veins that normally help move blood against gravity gradually lose the ability to work properly. Trump at this time had been frequently seen with bruises on his hands that were covered by make-up.

Ironically, it was the Republican who made the health issue centre stage during his 2024 campaign. Trump repeatedly slammed his predecessor Joe Biden and questioned both his physical and mental capacity. While Biden had insisted that his ability to do the job was not compromised, he eventually dropped out of the 2024 race days after his disastrous debate with Trump.

With inputs from agencies