Walz Demands Trump’s MRI: Accuses Ex-President of Hiding Health Issues

Paul Riverbank, 12/1/2025Walz demands Trump’s MRI results, fueling debates over health, transparency, and presidential fitness.

Among the voices stirring the pot was Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. Finishing up the holiday weekend, Walz appeared on NBC’s "Meet the Press" and didn’t mince words: "I am deeply concerned that he is incapable of doing the job," Walz said, pivoting toward Donald Trump’s late-night social media outbursts. The governor painted a picture: While many Americans were catching up with relatives, Trump, he claimed, was "ranting crazily at midnight on Thanksgiving about everything else." Walz questioned not just the content of Trump’s messages but the timing and tenor—suggesting it revealed a kind of isolation and possible instability.

He went further. Presidents, Walz argued, are expected to provide basic transparency: "They've released their tax returns—well, not Donald Trump. And they released their medical records—again, not Donald Trump." Such records, Walz believes, aren't just bureaucratic niceties. They’re a gauge, however imperfect, of someone’s readiness for a uniquely taxing job.

This all comes against the backdrop of a recent medical episode surrounding the former President. Trump, who’s now 79, revealed he'd undergone an MRI scan. Asked what was being checked, he responded with characteristic vagueness: "No idea… It wasn't the brain because I took a cognitive test and I aced it." White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt later tried to settle the dust, explaining the scan was a routine part of Trump’s annual checkup and that, according to his doctors, he remains in “exceptional physical health.”

Nevertheless, ambiguity breeds suspicion, particularly in politics. The call for detailed health disclosures has dogged presidents for generations—a tradition, more than a rule, but one that many voters expect. The issue gained fresh oxygen after a streak of Trump-written posts appeared on Truth Social over the break. Within those, he lobbed critiques at topics running the gamut from drug prices to immigration, and even delivered pointed jabs at Walz himself, including caustic remarks about Minnesota’s Somali community. Walz, quick to respond online, posted succinctly: "Release the MRI results."

One detail in Trump’s telling especially rattled Walz. "Has anyone in the history of the world ever have an MRI assigned to them and have no idea what it was for?" he asked, his disbelief palpable. In the governor’s eyes, either the lack of clarity is a sign of evasion—or something more troubling in terms of cognitive sharpness. "So look," he said, "it's clear the president’s fading physically. I think the mental capacity, again, ranting… there’s reasons for us to be concerned."

Trump’s response, meanwhile, followed a by-now familiar rhythm: refuse to flinch, dismiss critics, promise eventual transparency. "Sure, I’ll release MRI results," he said without offering specifics, emphasizing once again his clean bill of health and passing grade on cognitive tests. His allies are quick to downplay the fuss, chalking up such controversies to partisan theatrics.

So the back-and-forth continues. Walz and others dig in, insisting voters deserve a frank account of candidates’ physical and mental readiness. Trump offers confident dismissals and pledges to disclose—but to date, detailed documentation remains in the wings.

Underlying all of this is a plain reality: People—regardless of party—want to trust that their leaders can handle the job, physically and mentally. Whether another set of medical documents sways public opinion is a separate question. But it’s clear that, as long as candidates’ health remains in question, so too will the debate over what voters have the right to know. And if this Thanksgiving table is any indication, such arguments are nowhere near winding down.

Thanksgiving rarely provides as much fodder for political debate as it did this year, and, as families pushed aside empty pie plates and flicked on football, a fresh controversy came to the table—a familiar argument over the health and transparency of those seeking the nation’s highest office.Among the voices stirring the pot was Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. Finishing up the holiday weekend, Walz appeared on NBC’s "Meet the Press" and didn’t mince words: "I am deeply concerned that he is incapable of doing the job," Walz said, pivoting toward Donald Trump’s late-night social media outbursts. The governor painted a picture: While many Americans were catching up with relatives, Trump, he claimed, was "ranting crazily at midnight on Thanksgiving about everything else." Walz questioned not just the content of Trump’s messages but the timing and tenor—suggesting it revealed a kind of isolation and possible instability.He went further. Presidents, Walz argued, are expected to provide basic transparency: "They've released their tax returns—well, not Donald Trump. And they released their medical records—again, not Donald Trump." Such records, Walz believes, aren't just bureaucratic niceties. They’re a gauge, however imperfect, of someone’s readiness for a uniquely taxing job.This all comes against the backdrop of a recent medical episode surrounding the former President. Trump, who’s now 79, revealed he'd undergone an MRI scan. Asked what was being checked, he responded with characteristic vagueness: "No idea… It wasn't the brain because I took a cognitive test and I aced it." White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt later tried to settle the dust, explaining the scan was a routine part of Trump’s annual checkup and that, according to his doctors, he remains in “exceptional physical health.”Nevertheless, ambiguity breeds suspicion, particularly in politics. The call for detailed health disclosures has dogged presidents for generations—a tradition, more than a rule, but one that many voters expect. The issue gained fresh oxygen after a streak of Trump-written posts appeared on Truth Social over the break. Within those, he lobbed critiques at topics running the gamut from drug prices to immigration, and even delivered pointed jabs at Walz himself, including caustic remarks about Minnesota’s Somali community. Walz, quick to respond online, posted succinctly: "Release the MRI results."One detail in Trump’s telling especially rattled Walz. "Has anyone in the history of the world ever have an MRI assigned to them and have no idea what it was for?" he asked, his disbelief palpable. In the governor’s eyes, either the lack of clarity is a sign of evasion—or something more troubling in terms of cognitive sharpness. "So look," he said, "it's clear the president’s fading physically. I think the mental capacity, again, ranting… there’s reasons for us to be concerned."Trump’s response, meanwhile, followed a by-now familiar rhythm: refuse to flinch, dismiss critics, promise eventual transparency. "Sure, I’ll release MRI results," he said without offering specifics, emphasizing once again his clean bill of health and passing grade on cognitive tests. His allies are quick to downplay the fuss, chalking up such controversies to partisan theatrics.So the back-and-forth continues. Walz and others dig in, insisting voters deserve a frank account of candidates’ physical and mental readiness. Trump offers confident dismissals and pledges to disclose—but to date, detailed documentation remains in the wings.Underlying all of this is a plain reality: People—regardless of party—want to trust that their leaders can handle the job, physically and mentally. Whether another set of medical documents sways public opinion is a separate question. But it’s clear that, as long as candidates’ health remains in question, so too will the debate over what voters have the right to know. And if this Thanksgiving table is any indication, such arguments are nowhere near winding down.