2:32President Donald Trump addresses attendees during a joint press conference alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, on December 29, 2025. Jonathan Ernst/Reuters
For several weeks, President Donald Trump has asserted that he underwent an MRI at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in October; however, when questioned about the procedure by the Wall Street Journal in an interview released on Thursday, Trump and his physician revealed that he actually had a CT scan instead.
"It wasn’t an MRI," Trump conveyed to the Journal. “It was something less. It was a scan.”
Last month, Trump insisted that he had received an MRI, informing reporters aboard Air Force One that he would "absolutely" disclose the results.
President Donald Trump speaks during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Fla., December 29, 2025.Jonathan Ernst/Reuters
The White House has not explicitly stated the reason for Trump undergoing the scan. In November, Trump asserted that the MRI was part of his annual physical check-up.
Trump’s doctor, Navy Capt. Sean Barbabella, informed the Journal that the president had received a CT scan rather than an MRI. Barbabella mentioned that Trump’s medical team initially indicated they would conduct either an MRI or a CT scan.
Both magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) scans are diagnostic techniques utilized by healthcare providers to visualize organs and structures within the body for the purpose of diagnosing various conditions. An MRI employs a large magnet and radio waves to create an image, while a CT scan utilizes X-rays.
On December 1, the White House made public the findings of Trump's advanced imaging assessments, labeling them as "perfectly normal." Barbabella stated at that time that the imaging serves to verify Trump's overall health and detect any potential issues early on before they escalate.
Barbabella conveyed to the Journal that the CT scan was performed "to definitively eliminate any cardiovascular concerns" and revealed no irregularities.
Barbabella informed ABC News in a statement on Thursday that the president continues to be "in excellent health and fully capable of fulfilling his responsibilities as Commander in Chief."
In late October, Trump first claimed he had an MRI as part of the "advanced imaging" evaluations he underwent at Walter Reed.
"I had an MRI. It was perfect," Trump stated at that time. "I mean, I provided the complete results. We had an MRI and the device, you know, the entire process, and it was perfect."
Despite Trump’s repeated assertions regarding the MRI, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told ABC News on Thursday that Trump’s "doctors and the White House have consistently maintained that the president underwent advanced imaging."
While the advanced imaging was conducted as a precautionary measure, as stated by both the White House and Barbabella, Trump remarked to the Wall Street Journal that he now regrets having it done, claiming in the interview that it has been utilized as “ammunition” against him.
"Looking back, it’s unfortunate I did it because it provided them with a bit of ammunition. I would have been much better off if it hadn’t happened, because the mere fact that I underwent it suggested, ‘Oh dear, is something wrong?’ Well, nothing is wrong,” Trump expressed.
In his interview with the Wall Street Journal, Trump mentioned that the high dosage of aspirin he consumes daily has made him prone to bruising, noting that he has declined his doctors’ recommendations to reduce the dosage, stating he has been taking that specific aspirin for 25 years.
Sourse: abcnews.go.com