Cardiologist Dr. Jonathan Reiner on CNN on December 1, 2025 (Image: Screengrab via CNN / YouTube)
Dr. Jonathan Reiner – who was former Vice President Dick Cheney's cardiologist for more than 30 years – isn't buying the White House's explanation for President Donald Trump's advanced imaging done in October.
During a Monday segment on CNN, hosts Boris Sanchez and Brianna Keilar played a clip of White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who read a statement from White House physician Sean P. Barbarella explaining that the imaging was "preventive." The administration maintained that the imaging showed that Trump was in "excellent health" and that "all major organs appear healthy and well-perfused."
After hearing Leavitt's statement from the lectern. Dr. Reiner countered that it was not "standard" for an 80 year-old president to undergo advanced imaging, and that "there really is no preventative cardiac MRI." He also pointed out that Trump already had his annual physical in the spring, meaning that the fall MRI was unrelated.
"The whole note has kindof a weird defensive, evasive tone to it," Reiner said. "First ofall, this is not part of thepresident's comprehensivephysical examination. He hadthat in April, and then heunderwent some more testing in July."
"If you look at his firstadministration, the president —like most presidents — onlyunderwent one comprehensivephysical exam every year. Sothis comes completely off cycle," he continued. "Second, it's filled witheuphemisms. Again, Dr. Barbarella, the president'sphysician, states that heunderwent advanced imaging.Well, what specific advancedimaging did the president have?Was it an MRI, as the presidentsaid? Was it a C.T.? [scan] Did he haveboth? Why not just spell it out?"
When reading Barbarella's summary of Trump's imaging, the press secretary stated that Trump had both cardiovascular imaging along with a scan of his abdomen. This also struck Dr. Reiner as unusual, as he noted such scans are often "performed in response to some clinical concern." He added that such a scan was "fine" for someone advanced in age, the White House was still being cagey in the way it described the imaging.
"Thingshappen to people as we all get older. Andpresident is almost almost 80," he said. "So instead of this kind ofevasive, almost laughable kind ofnote, just spell out whathappened. I hope the imaging isis normal and great. That wouldbe excellent news. But this kindof piece-by-piece, drip-by-driprelease of information isdisconcerting."
Watch the segment below: