In a stunning reversal that has reignited questions about transparency and his health, President Donald Trump has admitted he never underwent an MRI during his October check-up at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center—contradicting his own repeated claims.
For months, the 79-year-old president insisted he had received the advanced imaging scan, even describing the results as “perfect” to reporters. But in a candid new interview with The Wall Street Journal, Trump walked back those assertions, clarifying, “It wasn’t an MRI. It was less than that. It was a scan.”
The correction comes amid a flurry of health-related scrutiny dogging the president’s second term. While Trump had previously touted the nonexistent MRI as proof of his vitality, his physician, Navy Capt. Sean Barbabella, confirmed to the Journal that the procedure was actually a computed tomography (CT) scan.
Barbabella explained the scan was conducted to “definitively rule out any cardiovascular issues” and revealed “absolutely no abnormalities.” While both tests provide detailed internal images, a CT scan uses X-rays and is generally faster than an MRI, which employs magnetic fields and radio waves to yield superior detail of soft tissues.
The mix-up highlights a pattern of confusion surrounding the president’s medical disclosures. In late October, Trump confidently told reporters on Air Force One, “I got an MRI. It was perfect.”
🔥BREAKING: President Trump says the doctors confirmed he’s in PERFECT health pic.twitter.com/7eNx0q6MdP
— Q 45 (Patriots) (@ProudQ45) January 2, 2026
By December, however, he seemed unsure of the specifics, admitting he had “no idea” which part of his body was examined, though he joked, “It wasn’t the brain because I took a cognitive test and I aced it.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who had previously used the vague term “advanced imaging,” offered no explanation for why the correction took months to materialize.
Trump now expresses regret over the entire episode. “In retrospect, it’s too bad I took it because it gave them a little ammunition,” he told the Journal, referring to his critics. “I would have been a lot better off if they didn’t, because the fact that I took it said, ‘Oh gee, is something wrong?’ Well, nothing’s wrong.”
This clarification arrives as observers track other signs of the president’s aging. In July, the White House announced Trump had been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, a common condition in older adults that causes leg swelling, after photos showed his ankles appearing puffy.
Trump’s MRI results shows he’s perfectly healthy 🔥🙏🏼
pic.twitter.com/NPodmMSCUi
— TONY™ (@TONYxTWO) December 1, 2025
More recently, questions have swirled around dark bruising often visible on the back of his hands. Trump attributes this to his daily regimen of aspirin—a high dosage he admits to taking against doctors’ advice because he wants “nice, thin blood pouring through my heart.”
Leavitt has also cited “frequent handshaking” as a contributing factor.
Adding to the chatter are viral moments where the president appeared to nod off during Oval Office sessions. Trump dismissed these claims with characteristic defiance, insisting he wasn’t sleeping but simply “blinking” or closing his eyes to relax. “I’ll just close. It’s very relaxing to me,” he said.
Despite the blunders and biological realities of his age, both Trump and Dr. Barbabella maintain that the commander-in-chief remains in “exceptional health.” Yet, as the MRI reversal demonstrates, the narrative surrounding the president’s physical fitness is often as fluid as the politics he navigates.
