California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office responded to the White House sharing a memorandum about President Donald Trump’s MRI results by posting his own mock medical report. The latest rift with Trump, which has seen the Californian Democrat hold a mirror to the MAGA playbook by adopting the President’s social media vernacular, saw Newsom’s office promote a so-called summary of Newsom’s “advanced imaging results.”
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The fictional medical letter, penned by “Dr. Dolittle,” imitated—and exaggerated—some of the statements put forward by Trump’s physician. Newsom’s cardiovascular scans were referred to as the “best” ever recorded and his arteries described as “shimmering.” The letter then appeared to poke fun at reports that Trump is showing signs of fatigue, stating that Newsom “completes full work days without falling asleep in meetings.” In conclusion, the faux medical report, signed by the “California Department of Peak Excellence,” remarked that Newsom remains “the healthiest person alive and ever to live.”
Newsom’s post comes after Trump’s physician, Capt. Sean P. Barbabella, penned a letter about the President’s own “advanced imaging results.” The note stated that Trump’s cardiovascular system “shows excellent health” and confirmed that the 79-year-old “remains in excellent overall health.”
Trump, who is the oldest U.S. President sworn into office, underwent his annual physical in April—the results of which saw his doctor determine he is “fully fit” to be Commander-in-Chief. But Trump prompted renewed questions about his health when he revealed he had undergone an MRI in October during a semi-annual check-up at the Walter Reed Hospital.
When asked by a reporter aboard Air Force One last month why he underwent the MRI, Trump said it was part of his “standard” checks and that the doctor had told him it was “the best result he [had] ever seen.” He went on to say he had “no idea” what was analyzed during the scans.
Within Monday’s White House memorandum, which was released amid calls for more information on Trump’s MRI, Dr. Barbabella said the President had undergone the advanced imaging because “men in his age group benefit from a thorough evaluation of cardiovascular and abdominal health.”
Earlier this year, it was announced—amid online speculation about swelling around Trump’s ankles and bruises on his hands—that the President has “chronic venous insufficiency.” Dr. Ali Azizzadeh, professor and director of vascular surgery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, told TIME that the condition is “a very common diagnosis” and is “not dangerous.”
However, Trump’s health was a topic of discussion long before he returned to the White House for a second term.
The subject of age and health dominated throughout the early presidential campaign between Trump and former President Joe Biden, now 83. Trump’s age became more of a focal point after Biden dropped out of the election in 2024, amid reports members of his party were concerned over his health and age. (Trump has since accused Biden’s former aides of concealing his “serious cognitive decline” and abusing the power of Presidential signatures—claims Biden has referred to as “ridiculous and false.”)
Trump faced renewed public calls to release his medical files in 2024, after he had repeatedly vowed to do so. At that point, he had failed to deliver more than a 2023 social media update that shared a screenshot of a letter from Dr. Bruce Aronwald, sharing little detail other than saying Trump was in “excellent health.” Calls for transparency from Trump’s team intensified after former Vice President Kamala Harris, after replacing Biden in the presidential race, released her own medical records and urged Trump to do the same.
Since returning to the White House, Trump has shared the results of his medical examinations and has continued to boast of his great health. But he has, at times, been unable to shake lingering questions.
Meanwhile, Trump and Newsom continue to be online sparring partners.
Newsom has notably upped the ante when it comes to trolling Trump. Earlier this year he released his own “real patriot” alternative to Trump’s MAGA merchandise.
When discussing his own social media activity, which somewhat replicates the MAGA playbook, Newsom told reporters in August that he hopes it serves as a “wake-up call to the President of the United States, following his example.”
“If you have issues with what I’m putting out, you sure as hell should have concerns about what he’s putting out as President. To the extent it’s gotten attention, I’m pleased,” said Newsom, before going on to question “how have we allowed the normalization of his [Trump’s] tweets, Truth Social posts over the course of the last many years to go without similar scrutiny and notice?”
The post ‘Healthiest Person Alive’: Newsom Shares Mock Medical Report After White House Doctor Cites Trump’s ‘Excellent’ MRI Results appeared first on TIME.
