White House releases details of Trump’s medical imaging, saying results were ‘perfectly normal’

By Kit Maher, Samantha Waldenberg, CNN

(CNN) — President Donald Trump’s doctor said in a memo released by the White House on Monday that his October medical imaging was of his cardiovascular and abdominal systems and that both showed “perfectly normal” results.

“President Trump’s cardiovascular imaging is perfectly normal. There is no evidence of arterial narrowing impairing blood flow or abnormalities in the heart or major vessels. The heart chambers are normal in size, the vessel walls appear smooth and healthy, and there are no signs of inflammation, or clotting. Overall, his cardiovascular system shows excellent health,” Dr. Sean Barbabella’s memo says.

“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,” the memo continues.

The memo says the “advanced imaging was performed because men in his age group benefit from a thorough evaluation of cardiovascular and abdominal health.”

The president told reporters in October that he received an MRI at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, a visit the White House billed as the president’s “routine yearly checkup.” Trump underwent his annual physical, however, in April.

After telling reporters he received an MRI, Trump said they should ask his doctors why he received the scan, but no reason was provided. He said Sunday he was open to releasing the results, although he said he was unaware which part of his body was examined in the scan.

“If they want to release it, it’s OK with me to release it. It’s perfect,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.

Pressed by a reporter on which part of his body the MRI examined, Trump said, “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.”

The comments came as Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz pushed for Trump to release the MRI results in reaction to a Thanksgiving Truth Social post in which the president criticized Walz by using a slur.

“Has anyone in the history of the world ever had an MRI assigned to them and have no idea what it was for, as he says?” Walz said in an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

In early November, CNN’s Kristen Holmes asked White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt why Trump got an MRI. Leavitt said, “I’ll check back on that,” but no follow-up information was provided.

“Every single day the president is in optimal physical health. This was a follow-up appointment, and we provided a detailed readout of that physical,” Leavitt said.

The White House announced in July that Trump was diagnosed with chronic veinous insufficiency, 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.

CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta told CNN’s Jake Tapper in September that chronic venous insufficiency is not uncommon in older adults. He said it is a condition that prevents blood from “leaving the extremities as well as it should” and causes swelling.

This story and headline have been updated with additional developments.

CNN’s Betsy Klein contributed to this report.

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