Trump says he underwent CT scan, not MRI, during October examination

President Trump says helium underwent a CT scan, alternatively than an MRI, during his October introspection astatine Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. In a caller interview, helium besides says it would person been amended if helium hadn't undergone the scan astatine all. 

"In retrospect, it's excessively atrocious I took it due to the fact that it gave them a small ammunition," the president said successful an interrogation with The Wall Street Journal published Thursday. "I would person been a batch amended disconnected if they didn't, due to the fact that the information that I took it said, 'Oh gee, is thing wrong?' Well, nothing's wrong."

In precocious October, Mr. Trump told reporters helium underwent an MRI yielding "perfect" results during his introspection that month. The White House said successful December that "advanced imaging" was performed to cheque his "cardiovascular and abdominal health." 

But the president told The Wall Street Journal it was really a CT scan, and his doctor, Navy Capt. Sean Barbabella, confirmed that successful a connection to CBS News. 

CT scans and MRIs are communal imaging tests that assistance doctors spot wrong the assemblage and diagnose a wide scope of conditions. CT scans usage a bid of X-ray pictures to make a 3D image, typically allowing doctors to place things similar humor clots. An MRI takes longer and uses magnetic and vigor waves to nutrient much elaborate images of organs and brushed insubstantial than CT scans.

"President Trump agreed to conscionable with the unit and soldiers astatine Walter Reed Medical Hospital successful October," Barbabella said successful a connection to CBS News connected Thursday. "In bid to marque the astir of the president's clip astatine the hospital, we recommended helium acquisition different regular carnal valuation to guarantee continued optimal health. As portion of that examination, we asked the president if helium would acquisition precocious imaging — either an MRI oregon CT Scan — to definitively regularisation retired immoderate cardiovascular issues. The president agreed, and our squad of consultants performed a CT Scan. As we revealed successful the post-examination report, the precocious imaging was perfectly mean and revealed perfectly nary abnormalities." 

White House property caput Karoline Leavitt said the White House and Mr. Trump's doctors person ever maintained helium received precocious imaging. 

"Additional details connected the imaging person been disclosed by the president himself, due to the fact that helium continues to beryllium the astir transparent and unfastened president successful past and has thing to hide, dissimilar his predecessor Joe Biden, who hid from the property and lied astir his wide carnal and intelligence decline," Leavitt said successful a statement. 

The president besides told the paper helium doesn't privation to little his regular aspirin dose, thing he's utilized arsenic a humor thinner for implicit 2 decades. "I'm a small superstitious," helium said.

"They accidental aspirin is bully for thinning retired the blood, and I don't privation heavy humor pouring done my heart," Mr. Trump told the Journal. "I privation nice, bladed humor pouring done my heart. Does that marque sense?"

Mr. Trump, 79, isn't a instrumentality of accepted workout extracurricular of his favourite pastime, golf. 

"I conscionable don't similar it. It's boring," Mr. Trump said. "To locomotion connected a treadmill oregon tally connected a treadmill for hours and hours similar immoderate radical do, that's not for me."

Over the summer, the White House announced the president had been diagnosed with a "benign and common" vein information known arsenic chronic venous insufficiency aft helium noticed swelling successful his legs. Barbabella said the introspection revealed nary grounds of a much superior information similar heavy vein thrombosis oregon arterial disease. 

The president has astatine times displayed disposable bruises connected his hands, which the White House has attributed to predominant handshaking. 

"This is accordant with insignificant brushed insubstantial irritation from predominant handshaking and the usage of aspirin, which is taken arsenic portion of a modular cardiovascular prevention regimen," Barbabella said successful a memo implicit the summer.

Ed O'Keefe and Kristin Brown contributed to this report.