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Trump says he received an MRI during trip to Walter Reed medical center

<i>Ken Cedeno/Reuters via CNN Newsource</i><br/>

By CNN Newsource

Published October 27, 2025 4:59 am

By Betsy Klein, CNN

(CNN) — President Donald Trump said that he received an MRI scan during a recent trip to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center – marking the first time he has provided a reason for his second medical exam this year and raising new questions about the president’s health.

“I did. I got an MRI. It was perfect,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One Monday.

“I gave you the full results. We had an MRI, and the machine, you know, the whole thing, and it was perfect,” he added.

Trump, who at 79 is one of the oldest presidents in US history, declined to say why he received the MRI during the Walter Reed visit earlier this month, telling reporters to “ask the doctors.”

The president claimed that his doctors offered reporters a “very conclusive” report of the exam, but the White House has not previously disclosed the reason for his unusual second visit, a departure from the traditional presidential cadence of a single comprehensive exam per year.

“I think they gave you a very conclusive – nobody has ever given you reports like I gave you. 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, some of the best reports they’ve ever seen,” he said.

This summer, the White House announced that Trump was examined for swelling in his legs and has been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency.

Chronic venous insufficiency is a condition in which valves inside certain veins don’t work the way they should, which can allow blood to pool or collect in the veins. About 150,000 people are diagnosed with it each year, and the risk goes up with age.

Symptoms can include swelling in the lower legs or ankles, aching or cramping in the legs, varicose veins, pain or skin changes. Treatment may involve medication or, in later stages, medical procedures.

Trump has also faced scrutiny over regular bruising on his right hand that he’s appeared at times to cover up with heavy makeup.

The White House physician, Dr. Sean Barbabella, has attributed it to a combination of “frequent handshaking” and aspirin use, which can increase bruising.