President Donald Trump delivered a sharp rebuke to reporters on Sunday night during a press briefing aboard Air Force One, responding to questions about the MRI scan he recently received as part of his routine physical.
The exchange came just days after Minnesota Governor Tim Walz demanded that the results be released publicly.
Trump insisted the results were “perfect,” comparing them to the phone call with Ukraine President Zelensky that led to his first impeachment.
“Absolutely perfect. If you want to have it released, I’ll release it,” he said, keeping the focus on his own narrative rather than the specific medical details.
A Personal Shot at a Female Reporter
The conversation took a pointed turn when a reporter asked Trump which part of his body the MRI had examined.
Trump deflected with a personal jab:
“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 mark which you would be incapable of doing,” he said, gesturing toward the journalist before ending the briefing with a curt “goodbye everybody” and a final nod to another reporter.
This interaction highlighted Trump’s ongoing tendency to respond to scrutiny with sharp personal remarks, particularly toward female journalists.
Escalation With Governor Walz
Trump’s feud with Walz intensified after the president called the Minnesota governor “seriously retarded” on social media.
During the briefing, he doubled down, describing Walz as someone who allowed “hundreds of thousands of Somalian migrants to prey on innocent people” and asserting that “there’s something wrong with Walz.”
Walz fired back on X, calling for transparency regarding the MRI results and describing Trump’s behavior as “not normal” and “not healthy.”
In a Meet the Press interview, the governor said: “Has anyone in the history of the world ever had an MRI assigned to them and had no idea what it was for?”
A Pattern of Confrontations
This was far from the first time Trump has clashed with journalists over questions about his administration or personal life.
On Thursday, he asked CBS News correspondent Nancy Cordes whether she was “a stupid person” while discussing Afghan suspects brought into the U.S. without full vetting.
Similarly, Trump recently insulted New York Times reporter Katie Rogers, calling her “ugly” in response to a story about his reduced public appearances and physical stamina in his second term.
He also told Bloomberg’s Catherine Lucey to be “quiet, piggy” when she asked about Jeffrey Epstein files and criticized ABC News following George Stephanopoulos’ abrupt cut-off of JD Vance during an interview.
Trump Defends His Conduct
Despite criticism, Trump framed his responses as appropriate reactions to perceived hostility from the media.
He emphasized his physical health, denounced negative reporting as biased or false, and frequently redirected conversations to political opponents or administrative criticisms.
Throughout these exchanges, Trump’s rhetoric underscores a continued pattern of combative interactions with journalists, particularly when questions touch on sensitive topics such as personal health, impeachment history, or immigration policies.
Media Tensions Show No Sign of Easing
From the MRI to Afghanistan vetting questions, Trump’s confrontations with reporters reveal a consistent approach: challenge, deflect, and retaliate.
Whether addressing a female journalist’s query or defending his stance against political opponents, the president maintains a sharp, unfiltered style that dominates every briefing and fuels ongoing debates about media access and presidential accountability.
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