President Donald Trump began 2026 insisting White House physicians cleared him as healthy and arguing for mandatory cognitive testing for anyone seeking the nation’s top offices, while staff memos and imaging notes were cited to back up that claim and critics pointed to public moments they say raise questions about presidential fitness.
Trump opened the year by saying medical staff had given him a clean bill of health and that he aced his cognitive exam. “The White House Doctors have just reported that I am in ‘PERFECT HEALTH,’ and that I ‘ACED’ (meaning, was correct on 100% of the questions asked!), for the third straight time, my Cognitive Examination, something which no other President, or previous Vice President, was willing to take,” he wrote.
He doubled down on testing as a requirement for public office and framed it as common-sense safety for the country. “P.S., I strongly believe that anyone running for President, or Vice President, should be mandatorily forced to take a strong, meaningful, and proven Cognitive Examination,” he added. “Our great Country cannot be run by ‘STUPID’ or INCOMPETENT PEOPLE!”
Trump has openly said he regrets having additional imaging done in October because it gave critics something to scrutinize, and he pushed back against the insinuation that the scans revealed any problem. “In retrospect, it’s too bad I took it because it gave them a little ammunition,” he told the Wall Street Journal, adding, “I would have been a lot better off if they didn’t, because the fact that I took it said, ‘Oh gee, is something wrong?’ Well, nothing’s wrong.”
White House medical notes described that cardiology and abdominal imaging were part of routine care for a man of his age and emphasized prevention and ongoing maintenance. The memo said the evaluation was part of the president’s “ongoing health maintenance plan” and listed advanced imaging, lab testing and preventative assessments as standard steps. It also stated that “Trump continues to demonstrate excellent overall health” and that he “continues to maintain a demanding daily schedule without restriction.”
The White House summary read publicly that the scans were taken to catch problems early and confirm long-term health, and it reported normal results. “Advanced imaging was performed because men in his age group benefit from a thorough evaluation of cardiovascular and abdominal health,” the statement said. The release further noted the imaging was done to “identify any issues early, confirm overall health and ensure the president maintains long term vitality and function” and described the cardiovascular and abdominal imaging as “perfectly normal,” adding that “all major organs appear very healthy.”
Still, questions about hearing and dozing at events have trended in the press, and Trump has pushed back on those narratives as well. He said closing his eyes at events is relaxing and blamed poor photo timing when critics suggested he nodded off. When asked about hearing, he mocked the suggestion with “I can’t hear you. I can’t hear you. I can’t hear a word you’re saying” while noting he sometimes has trouble when rooms are noisy.
Health was a defining argument in the 2024 campaign season, and Republicans have been blunt about what they view as the contrast in transparency between candidates. The campaign trail featured repeated GOP claims that Joe Biden downplayed or hid health concerns, and Trump and allies argue that voters deserve straight answers about fitness for office. Those concerns intensified after public moments where Biden appeared to stumble during exchanges, including a debate where he “appeared to lose his train of thought and stumbled over words.”
The White House did not immediately issue a response to requests for comment, leaving the medical notes and the president’s statements to carry the public case for his fitness. The debate over health, testing and transparency is likely to keep playing out in the headlines and on the campaign trail as 2026 unfolds.
