Donald Trump’s health has come under renewed spotlight after White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt couldn’t explain what kind of scan the president had during his latest medical examination.
Two weeks after Trump had his second examination in six months, Leavitt was asked about the summary the White House released from the president’s physician, Sean Barbarella.
Barberella’s five-paragraph summary declared the president was in “excellent health,” that his cardiac age was 14 years younger than his 79 years, and that comprehensive lab studies performed as part of the visit were “exceptional.”
But there was limited detail about the specific procedures the president had, which Barbarella said included “advanced imaging.”
This can involve technologies like CT scans (which can show if someone’s condition is getting worse or better), Magnetic Resonance Imaging, or MRI’s (which can highlight problems such as strokes, brain issues or tumors) and nuclear medical scans (which can also detect a range of conditions, such as cancers, heart disease, bone abnormalities, and infections).
Asked what type of advanced imaging the president had during his visit to Walter Reed Medical Center, Leavitt provided a word salad answer.
“Advanced imaging is something that presidents receive and people receive when they go to the doctor, and so we provided a detailed readout of that physical, and I would encourage you back for that,” she said.
Pressed again if it involved an MRI, Leavitt replied: “I don’t know the exact imaging that took place. The president is in incredibly good shape and I think that’s evidenced here every single day.
Trump’s October 10 visit raised eyebrows at the time, as it was the second one this year and took place amid ongoing speculation over his deeply bruised hands and swollen ankles.
The White House revealed in July that he had been diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency, a condition that occurs when veins can’t manage blood flow well, making it harder for the blood to return to the heart.
But while CVI isn’t life-threatening, doctors say it gets riskier with age and a poor diet.
The bruising on Trump’s hand, according to the White House, was due to the president’s serial handshaking and an aspirin regimen used to treat it.
Despite the diagnoses, Trump insists he is in great shape, and the day before his latest check-up, he even bragged about the 30 out of 30 score Barbarella gave him in February when he took a cognitive test as part of his first “routine” check-up since returning to office.
“I had a perfect score, and one of the doctors said he’s almost never seen a perfect score,” Trump told reporters at the time.
“Physically, I feel very good. Mentally, I feel very good,” he added.
Notably, the summary of his October 10 check-up did not have any cognitive test results recorded, and some remain unconvinced that the public is getting the full picture.
Former John Hopkins professor Dr. John Gartner told The Daily Beast Podcast this week that the 79-year-old’s nonsensical speeches, repeated confusion, and frequent lapses in memory were signs of his “immense cognitive decline.”
He also warned that with the nuclear codes in Trump’s possession, “it really would be impossible to overstate the grave risk that all of us are at right now.”
“Because of his cognitive decline,” Gartner added, Trump “is focusing on things like the [White House] ballroom and the paper that he writes things on.”
“We’re seeing a stone skipping along the water. He’s going from one association to another, but it doesn’t make any linear sense,” he said.
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