(DCNF)—Republican strategist Scott Jennings pushed back Tuesday night against growing Democratic insinuations about President Donald Trump’s health, saying the entire storyline is bogus.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday that Trump underwent a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in October as part of a routine checkup to rule out cardiovascular issues. During a panel on “The Arena with Kasie Hunt,” the host pressed Jennings as to why Trump abruptly mentioned an MRI and whether it signaled confusion or health concerns. Jennings dismissed the entire premise outright.
“I honestly think this is an attempt to create a narrative about this guy that just doesn’t exist because Democrats are so butthurt over having to live through the humiliation of the White House under Biden, claiming he was fine when he clearly wasn’t,” Jennings told Hunt. “They want to transfer that to Donald Trump. It’s just not the same. It’s not true. And, you know, I can only speak from my personal experience. He seemed fine to me.”
Jennings said Trump then led a marathon, three-hour Cabinet meeting earlier Tuesday before taking questions from reporters, as he typically does.
“I saw the man a few days ago in the Oval Office for about an hour. He looked and sounded fine to me. We talked about a wide range of issues. There were people coming and going. It was as bustling as it’s ever been in there when I’ve been in there,” Jennings added. “And I didn’t notice anything at all. And so I watched most of the cabinet meeting today, which took a very long time because it lasted three hours. And at the end of it, the president then did his customary gaggle with the press and answered all of their questions.”
Leavitt told reporters the MRI was part of Trump’s routine executive physical and said he remains in excellent overall health. She said the White House ordered advanced imaging because men in Trump’s age group benefit from a thorough cardiovascular and abdominal evaluation, explaining that the scans serve a preventive purpose by identifying potential issues early and confirming long-term vitality.
She also said the scans revealed no inflammation or clotting and that his abdominal imaging looked normal. Leavitt said this level of detailed testing is standard for an executive physical.
The White House released a physician’s note affirming Trump’s “excellent overall health,” which aligned with Trump’s own comments to reporters Sunday after he casually mentioned the MRI. Trump said he had “no idea” what part of his body doctors had examined.
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