President Donald Trump revealed he received a CT scan, and not an MRI scan, during a medical checkup in October. (Allison Robbert/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
"In retrospect, it’s too bad I took it because it gave them a little ammunition. I would have been a lot better off if they didn’t, because the fact that I took it said, ‘Oh gee, is something wrong?’ Well, nothing’s wrong," Trump said.
MRI and CT scans are both imaging tests, with CT scans using X-rays to create internal cross-section images, while MRI scans use magnet technology and radio waves to capture similar internal images. MRI scans typically gather more detailed images, while CT scans are more frequently used in emergency situations or a patient's initial evaluations as they produce faster results than MRIs.
Trump has repeatedly battled concern over his mental and physical fitness, including Friday morning, when he reported that he had "aced" his third cognitive exam.
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"The White House Doctors have just reported that I am in "PERFECT HEALTH," and that I "ACED" (Meaning, was correct on 100% of the questions asked!), for the third straight time, my Cognitive Examination, something which no other President, or previous Vice President, was willing to take," Trump posted to Truth Social Friday.
He added that he "strongly" supports a mandatory cognitive exam for any politician running for vice president or president, citing the U.S. can't be run by "'STUPID' or INCOMPETENT PEOPLE!"
President Trump's apparently swollen legs at a FIFA game spurred speculation of a concealed health issue. (Getty Images)
Leavitt said in July that Trump's swollen legs were part of a "benign and common condition" for individuals older than age 70, while the bruising on his hands was attributable to "frequent handshaking and the use of aspirin."
Trump said during his Wall Street Journal interview that he historically has taken more aspirin than doctors recommend, citing that he doesn't want to change his decadeslong routine as he's "a little superstitious"
"They say aspirin is good for thinning out the blood, and I don't want thick blood pouring through my heart," Trump told the outlet. "I want nice, thin blood pouring through my heart. Does that make sense?"
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Trump also hit back against claims he falls asleep during meetings and other public events, saying photos promoted by critics allegedly showing him falling asleep are simply moments that capture him blinking.
"Sometimes they’ll take a picture of me blinking, blinking, and they’ll catch me with the blink," Trump said.
A bruise is seen on President Trump's right hand (which appears to be covered over with make-up). (Getty )
The focus on Trump's health follows the media's relative silence over concerns regarding former President Joe Biden's mental acuity, which conservatives had cited as a cause for concern ahead of the 2020 election. Biden did not face an outpouring of criticism from both the left and right of the political spectrum until June 2024, however, when the federal election was at a fever pitch, and Biden delivered a failed debate performance that showcased him tripping over his words, appearing to lose his train of thought and other missteps.
The Trump administration has pointed to the media's previous presidential health coverage as evidence that journalists have a bias and selectively choose what to report.
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"No one believes the failing legacy media’s disingenuous obsession about President Trump’s health because we all just watched them actively cover up Joe Biden’s severe mental health decline for the past four years," White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers told Fox News Digital in December when asked about Trump's scan.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-regrets-handing-dems-health-ammunition-october-scan-clarifies-ct-not-mri