President Donald Trump got into a heated back-and-forth with reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday night after being pressed for details about a recent MRI scan, responding with a sharp personal insult toward one journalist.
The tense exchange took place as Trump and the first lady were returning to the White House following Minnesota Governor Tim Walz’s public demand for the president to release the results of the medical imaging.
Trump addressed the issue during an impromptu briefing with the traveling press.
When asked about Walz’s push for transparency, Trump compared the situation to his first impeachment.
“They were perfect, just like my phone call where I got impeached. Absolutely perfect. If you want it released, I’ll release it,” Trump said.
He was referring to his 2019 conversation with Ukraine’s president that triggered an impeachment effort. The MRI has since become wrapped in political controversy after Trump mocked Walz online days earlier.
A reporter then asked which part of Trump’s body the MRI examined.
Trump responded with irritation and turned his comments directly on the journalist.
“I have no idea. It was just an MRI. It wasn’t the brain because I took a cognitive test and aced it. I got a perfect score — something you’d be incapable of doing,” he said, pointing at the reporter.
With that, Trump ended the briefing, adding a dismissive farewell toward another member of the press before walking away with Melania, who lightly guided him out of the cabin hand-in-hand.
The dispute over Trump’s MRI escalated after he used a derogatory term to describe Walz, prompting the governor to question the president’s health and call for the scan results to be made public.
The White House previously stated that Trump underwent advanced imaging at Walter Reed as part of a routine annual physical, with officials saying the results showed he remains in strong health — though they did not specify the part of the body examined.
Spokespeople initially said additional details would be released, but later declined to provide further comment when asked again.
During Sunday night’s exchange, Trump was also asked whether he stood by his recent remarks about Walz, noting that many Americans found the language inappropriate.
“Absolutely. Do you have a problem with it? Something is wrong with him,” Trump replied, continuing his criticism of the Minnesota governor.
Trump then shifted to attacking Walz’s immigration policies, accusing him of harming the state through financial decisions related to refugee communities.
Walz responded earlier in the day by questioning Trump’s physical condition during a television interview, suggesting no public figure would undergo an MRI without knowing the purpose of the scan.