A reporter wanted to know which part of the body had been scanned. Trump, then 79, responded immediately: "I have no idea, it was just an MRI - which body part? It wasn't the brain, because I took a cognitive test and passed it perfectly." This spontaneous defense seemed to many like an accidental admission. As soon as he had spoken, X- and Bluesky users were tripping over themselves with comments. "If Trump denies that it was a brain MRI, it sounds like it was a brain MRI," wrote one user. The account "Angry Staffer" estimated the probability of a brain scan at 90 percent. Comedian Hayden Black sarcastically hit the nail on the head: "Tell us you had a brain MRI without saying you had a brain MRI."
The trigger for the whole debate was Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who had initially publicly put pressure on Trump with the question of his medical data. Shortly before, Trump had insulted him in a nocturnal social media post with an ableist expression - an outburst that drew additional criticism. On the NBC show "Meet the Press," Walz followed up. He asked if anyone had ever received an MRI examination without knowing what it was for.
He described Trump's nocturnal insults as "not normal behavior" and expressed serious doubts about his mental condition. "This guy is throwing insults at midnight that demonize our children," said Walz. He was "deeply concerned" that Trump was not able to perform his duties.