Former President Donald Trump recently announced that he would release the results of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan conducted during his surprise “semiannual physical” in October. However, he was unable to specify which part of his body was examined during the procedure. This announcement comes as Trump faces ongoing scrutiny regarding his cognitive abilities and mental fitness at the age of 79.
While returning to Washington D.C. on Sunday night after a Thanksgiving break in Florida, Trump addressed reporters on Air Force One. When questioned about the MRI, he stated, “If you want to have it released, I’ll release it,” asserting that the results were “perfect.” Despite his confidence, he admitted he had “no idea” what part of his body was scanned, saying, “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's vague comments about his health aren't new. Following his visit to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on October 10, which was labeled a “routine yearly checkup” by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, he continued to express uncertainty regarding the nature of the examinations. He claimed, “I have no idea what they analyze, but whatever they analyze, they analyzed it well, and they said that I had as good a result as they’ve ever seen,” adding that the doctor remarked it was the best result he had ever seen.
Tim Walz, the Democratic Governor of Minnesota and running mate to Kamala Harris in the upcoming 2024 election, criticized Trump during an appearance on NBC’s Meet the Press. Walz questioned, “Has anyone in the history of the world ever had an MRI assigned to them and have no idea what it was for?” He expressed concern over Trump’s physical and mental well-being, pointing to the former president's erratic late-night posts on his Truth Social platform, particularly a series of messages filled with anti-immigrant rhetoric following a shooting incident involving two National Guard members.
In his posts, Trump made unsubstantiated claims about the suspect, an Afghan national who had been granted asylum during his presidency. Additionally, he directed an outdated slur at Walz, reflecting a pattern of racially charged insults, particularly towards Representative Ilhan Omar. During his conversation on Air Force One, Trump reiterated his unproven allegation that Omar had married her brother to gain entry into the United States. “If that’s true, she shouldn’t be a congressman and we should throw her the hell out of our country,” he stated.
Upon arriving back at the White House, Trump returned to Truth Social to post another critical message aimed at his political opponent, Mark Kelly, the Democratic Senator from Arizona. Trump had previously accused Kelly and other congressional Democrats of engaging in “seditious behavior, punishable by death,” for advising military personnel they could disobey illegal orders. According to reports from the Daily Beast, Trump made several edits to ensure the grammar and spelling were correct in his posts, which addressed serious allegations against military conduct.
The ongoing discourse surrounding Trump's health and his cognitive abilities continues to fuel debate, with critics asserting that concerns should be taken seriously as the nation approaches the 2024 election.