US President Donald Trump announced on 30/11 he would release his MRI results to counter speculation about his health. "My MRI results are perfect. If you want, I will release them," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One, en route from Florida to Washington D.C. after Thanksgiving. This announcement followed calls from Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, a Democrat, who questioned Trump's physical and mental capacity.

Trump recently revealed he underwent an MRI during his annual health check-up on 10/10 at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. However, White House physician Sean Barbabella, who later stated President Trump was in "excellent health," did not mention an MRI at the time. Trump expressed uncertainty about which part of his body was scanned. "It was just an MRI. Which part? Not my brain because I took a cognitive test and did very well," he explained.

Governor Walz's challenge, made publicly on X, specifically urged Trump to release his MRI results, suggesting the president was "physically deteriorating." In response, the White House clarified that Trump's recent examination was a follow-up, including advanced imaging, laboratory tests, and preventative health assessments. A White House statement affirmed, "President Trump continues to show excellent overall health," adding that his heart age was 14 years younger than his chronological age. The statement also noted that the president received a flu vaccine and a Covid-19 booster shot.

US President Donald Trump answers reporters on Air Force One, 30/11. Photo: AFP

Despite the White House's assurances, recent analyses from US media, based on President Trump's public schedule on the non-partisan news site Roll Call, indicate potential age-related impacts on his activities. The American public has recently observed Trump appearing less frequently than during the same period in his first term, with his public events decreasing in number and duration.

Trump also travels less domestically, although his foreign trips have increased by 4 compared to 2017. Recent images of the 79-year-old president with closed eyes in the Oval Office, showing clear signs of fatigue, have further fueled public doubts about the burden of age.

Duc Trung (According to USA Today, Hill)