White House says MRI was ‘routine’ part of Trump’s physical exam

The MRI scan that President Trump underwent was a “routine” part of his physical exam, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Wednesday without offering any new details about why doctors thought the procedure was necessary or what they were looking for.

“President Trump received advanced imaging as part of his routine physical exam. The full results were reviewed by attending radiologists and consultants and they all agreed President Trump remains in exceptional physical health,” Ms. Leavitt said.

She offered no new information about the reason for the October magnetic resonance imaging scan, which has raised fresh questions about Mr. Trump’s health. For nearly all Americans, an MRI is not part of a routine annual physical exam.

Mr. Trump, 79, last month publicly revealed that he underwent an MRI during the early October visit to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. But the notice of the MRI was not included in the readout of the health evaluation provided by Mr. Trump’s doctor.

The White House has been cagey about the MRI. Last week, Ms. Leavitt told reporters she’d get back to them when pressed about the reason for Mr. Trump’s MRI. 

The medical visit was the second this year for Mr. Trump, who also received a complete physical in April. It was somewhat unusual for Mr. Trump to return to the hospital for further work, because most presidents get one exam per year.

“I got an MRI. It was perfect,” Mr. Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One as he traveled to Japan last month. “I gave you the full results. We had an MRI, and the machine, you know, the whole thing and it was perfect.”

Mr. Trump declined to say why he received the MRI, telling reporters they should “ask the doctors.”

The president also said his doctors provided reporters “a very conclusive” rundown of his exam, but the White House has yet to disclose the reason for the visit.

“I think they gave you a very conclusive — nobody has ever given you reports like I gave you,” Mr. Trump said. “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.”

The White House said Mr. Trump was examined in July for swelling in his legs, and he was diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency. It’s a condition in which valves inside certain veins don’t function right, letting blood build up.

Mr. Trump also has had bruising on his right hand that he’s sought to cover up with makeup.