The White House released a medical summary of President Donald Trump‘s mysterious MRI which he previously divulged to the press in October, telling reporters that it was out of an “effort of transparency” amid scrutiny of the 79-year-old’s health.
In a memorandum released on Monday, White House Physician Sean P. Barbabella said the MRI was a part of Trump’s annual comprehensive executive physical.
“Men in his age group benefit from a thorough evaluation of cardiovascular and abdominal health,” Barbabella said in the statement. “The purpose of this imaging is preventive: to identify issues early, confirm overall health, and ensure he maintains long-term vitality and function.”
Following the MRI, the White House physician and U.S. Navy captain said the president’s cardiovascular imaging and abdominal imaging are “perfectly normal.”
The summary did not include any copies of Trump’s medical charts or results, which remain private information.
“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 is no signs of inflammation, or clotting,” Barbabella explained.
He continued, “All major organs of pure, very healthy and well-perfused. Everything evaluated is functioning within normal limits with no acute or chronic concerns.”
He added that Trump remains in “excellent overall health,” a claim previous White House physician accounts have made.
The moment of “transparency” from the White House comes a day after Trump told reporters on Air Force One that he had “no idea” what part of his body was being tested with the MRI.
“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,” said Trump, who has repeatedly made the claim about cognitive abilities while calling Democrats like Jasmine Crockett, a licensed attorney, “low IQ.”
“I got a perfect mark, which you would be incapable of doing,” Trump said to CBS News White House Correspondent Weijia Jiang.
Trump’s health has been under much scrutiny this year after the sightings of bruising on hand and swelling on his feet, which the White House downplayed and said the president is being treated for. Trump has also had less public events in recent weeks and was seen resting his eyes during a meeting in the Oval Office.
Democrats and critics of President Trump have seized on Trump’s perceived health issues, suggesting he is battling dementia.
“This is a man who has something stuck in his head. He can’t get it out of his head. He doesn’t read. He doesn’t know anything that’s up to date. It’s just something in the recesses of his brain that is effectuating,” Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker told the Chicago Tribune.
U.S. Senator Ruben Gallego made a similar claim after Trump claimed to be negotiating with Democrats to end the federal government shutdown in October.
“The President clearly has some kind of dementia…he’s probably talking to himself,” said Gallego.
Even Crockett, a Democrat whom Trump mentions often, suggested he had some cognitive issues.
“The fact that no one is questioning his mental acuity or fitness to serve is beyond wild to me,” she said earlier this year.
