Last October, United States President Donald Trump underwent a physical medical examination in which a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed, the results of which – which he described as “perfect” – were not announced. Speaking to reporters on Sunday, the 79-year-old president stated that the analyzes would be made public, as well as highlighting that the MRI was not of his brain.
The White House did not confirm why the president underwent an MRI, or which part of his body was examined. Press Secretary Carolyn Leavitt reported that Trump received “advanced imaging as part of his routine physical examination” and that the results showed that he was in “exceptional physical health.” This medical examination was not part of the annual presidential medical examinations, but members of the Republican administration confirm that it is a routine medical examination and not a response to a specific problem.
In April, the president underwent his annual examination, and his doctor subsequently declared him in excellent condition. In July, his doctor said Trump suffered from chronic venous insufficiency, a common but manageable condition that can cause swelling in the ankles. This came after some comments spread about this part of the president’s body.
Trump told reporters on Sunday that he had “no idea” where on his body the MRI was performed, but stressed that it was not on the brain. “I took a cognitive test, and I passed excellently,” he said. Throughout his term, the president has emphasized his cognitive tests — which are not made public — as evidence that he is qualified to govern. He even questioned whether some of his critics would be able to “pass” the test.
In late October, the president claimed to have taken an “IQ test” at Walter Reed Medical Center. However, he appears to be referring to the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), a 10-minute test designed to identify signs of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. However, he challenged Democratic Representatives Jasmine Crockett and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to take the same test, which he described as “extremely difficult.” After his medical examination in April, his doctor said that the president had undergone the MoCa procedure and achieved a perfect score.
Dr. Ziad Nasr Eldin, a Canadian neurologist who designed the test in 1996, told NBC News that the test should not be used to measure intelligence, and stressed that there are no studies linking it to intelligence tests.
Sunday’s comments come after Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz pushed for the MRI results to be released after Trump criticized him on his social media site Truth over his treatment of the state’s Somali community. In response, Walz asked on an NBC show: “Has there ever been anyone in the history of the world who has had an MRI and not known what it was for?”
What is an MRI?
According to the Mayo Clinic, an MRI is a diagnostic imaging technique that uses a magnetic field and computer-generated radio waves to create detailed images of the body’s organs and tissues. It is primarily used to obtain images of the brain and spinal cord to diagnose problems such as: aneurysms in the brain vessels, eye and inner ear conditions, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord conditions, stroke, tumors, and traumatic brain injuries.
However, it is not limited to that body. It is also used to examine the heart and blood vessels, as well as the liver, kidneys, pancreas, prostate, spleen, and, in women, the uterus, breasts, and ovaries. It may also be performed on the bones to look for infections, joint problems, and tumors in the bones and soft tissues.