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LetMyPeopleVote's Journal
LetMyPeopleVote's Journal
November 18, 2025
Flagpoles at White House risk Helicopter Operations
trump added these flags. It may be that the flags have to taken down if trump arrives by helicopter
See https://www.democraticunderground.com/100220412949
November 18, 2025
Al Green actually lives in the new CD18 and is running. The Democratic primary is in March and so Green and the winner and loser of this run off will all be competing for this seat. This will be nasty
Abbott sets Jan. 31 runoff for special election to replace U.S. Rep. Sylvester Turner
My oldest child lives in this congressional district and has been without representation for 11 months due to Greg being an asshole.
https://x.com/TexasTribune/status/1990504110924116373?s=20
https://www.texastribune.org/2025/11/17/texas-18th-congressional-district-special-election-runoff-date-jan-31-houston/
Gov. Greg Abbott has set Jan. 31 as the date of the special election runoff for Texas’ 18th Congressional District, meaning the Houston-based seat will remain vacant for over two more months.
Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee and former Houston City Councilmember Amanda Edwards, both Democrats, were the top two finishers in the Nov. 4 special election, running ahead of the 16-candidate field but both falling well short of the 50% threshold needed to avoid a runoff.
Menefee finished first with 28.9% of the vote, with Edwards in a close second at 25.6%......
The Jan. 31 date also leaves little time for the winner to pivot to the March 3 primary, which will effectively decide the district’s representative for the term beginning in 2027. That election — the real contest in this heavily Democratic district — will take place under new lines, unless a federal court strikes down Republicans’ redrawn congressional map. The 18th Congressional District is poised to change significantly, with nearly three-quarters of the district’s current eligible voting population being drawn into different districts.
The new 18th Congressional District resembles the current 9th Congressional District, long represented by Democrat Al Green. Green has already filed to run in the new 18th Congressional District, meaning that the winner of the Jan. 31 runoff will face a primary with a well-known incumbent lawmaker just a month into his or her term.
Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee and former Houston City Councilmember Amanda Edwards, both Democrats, were the top two finishers in the Nov. 4 special election, running ahead of the 16-candidate field but both falling well short of the 50% threshold needed to avoid a runoff.
Menefee finished first with 28.9% of the vote, with Edwards in a close second at 25.6%......
The Jan. 31 date also leaves little time for the winner to pivot to the March 3 primary, which will effectively decide the district’s representative for the term beginning in 2027. That election — the real contest in this heavily Democratic district — will take place under new lines, unless a federal court strikes down Republicans’ redrawn congressional map. The 18th Congressional District is poised to change significantly, with nearly three-quarters of the district’s current eligible voting population being drawn into different districts.
The new 18th Congressional District resembles the current 9th Congressional District, long represented by Democrat Al Green. Green has already filed to run in the new 18th Congressional District, meaning that the winner of the Jan. 31 runoff will face a primary with a well-known incumbent lawmaker just a month into his or her term.
Al Green actually lives in the new CD18 and is running. The Democratic primary is in March and so Green and the winner and loser of this run off will all be competing for this seat. This will be nasty
November 18, 2025
Al Green actually lives in the new CD18 and is running. The Democratic primary is in March and so Green and the winner and loser of this run off will all be competing for this seat. This will be nasty
Abbott sets Jan. 31 runoff for special election to replace U.S. Rep. Sylvester Turner
My oldest child lives in this congressional district and has been without representation for 11 months due to Greg being an asshole.
https://x.com/TexasTribune/status/1990504110924116373?s=20
https://www.texastribune.org/2025/11/17/texas-18th-congressional-district-special-election-runoff-date-jan-31-houston/
Gov. Greg Abbott has set Jan. 31 as the date of the special election runoff for Texas’ 18th Congressional District, meaning the Houston-based seat will remain vacant for over two more months.
Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee and former Houston City Councilmember Amanda Edwards, both Democrats, were the top two finishers in the Nov. 4 special election, running ahead of the 16-candidate field but both falling well short of the 50% threshold needed to avoid a runoff.
Menefee finished first with 28.9% of the vote, with Edwards in a close second at 25.6%......
The Jan. 31 date also leaves little time for the winner to pivot to the March 3 primary, which will effectively decide the district’s representative for the term beginning in 2027. That election — the real contest in this heavily Democratic district — will take place under new lines, unless a federal court strikes down Republicans’ redrawn congressional map. The 18th Congressional District is poised to change significantly, with nearly three-quarters of the district’s current eligible voting population being drawn into different districts.
The new 18th Congressional District resembles the current 9th Congressional District, long represented by Democrat Al Green. Green has already filed to run in the new 18th Congressional District, meaning that the winner of the Jan. 31 runoff will face a primary with a well-known incumbent lawmaker just a month into his or her term.
Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee and former Houston City Councilmember Amanda Edwards, both Democrats, were the top two finishers in the Nov. 4 special election, running ahead of the 16-candidate field but both falling well short of the 50% threshold needed to avoid a runoff.
Menefee finished first with 28.9% of the vote, with Edwards in a close second at 25.6%......
The Jan. 31 date also leaves little time for the winner to pivot to the March 3 primary, which will effectively decide the district’s representative for the term beginning in 2027. That election — the real contest in this heavily Democratic district — will take place under new lines, unless a federal court strikes down Republicans’ redrawn congressional map. The 18th Congressional District is poised to change significantly, with nearly three-quarters of the district’s current eligible voting population being drawn into different districts.
The new 18th Congressional District resembles the current 9th Congressional District, long represented by Democrat Al Green. Green has already filed to run in the new 18th Congressional District, meaning that the winner of the Jan. 31 runoff will face a primary with a well-known incumbent lawmaker just a month into his or her term.
Al Green actually lives in the new CD18 and is running. The Democratic primary is in March and so Green and the winner and loser of this run off will all be competing for this seat. This will be nasty
November 18, 2025
MaddowBlog-On Walmart and Thanksgiving costs, Trump's 'big fact' is neither big nor fact
Pressed on federal efforts to address consumer costs, the White House has exactly one talking point — and it’s demonstrably false.
https://x.com/Otismerk/status/1990578329636974700
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/walmart-thanksgiving-costs-trumps-big-fact-neither-big-fact-rcna244452
When it comes to inflation, affordability and Americans’ concerns about the cost of living, Donald Trump has spent months fighting a losing war. The president keeps lying, and the public keeps getting annoyed.
The White House, however, believes it has one key piece of evidence on its side.
......In reality, the claim is neither big nor a fact, as the president really ought to understand by now.
The truth is simple: Walmart lowered the cost of its Thanksgiving dinner by reducing the number of items included in the package and replacing brand-name products with value products. Consumers will pay less, in other words, because they’ll get less, no thanks to the White House’s misguided agenda......
A couple of days later, after the president repeated the lie at a White House event, a reporter explained reality to him. “I haven’t heard that,” the Republican replied, shortly before condemning the truth as “fake news.”
In the days that followed, he continued to peddle the same falsehood. Members of his team, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Kevin Hassett, the director of the White House National Economic Council, faced similar difficulties reconciling the talking point with the truth.
That leading administration officials, including the president, keep trying to mislead the public about one of the issues Americans care about most is obviously indefensible, but I’m also struck by the bigger picture: Pressed on federal efforts to address consumer costs, the White House has exactly one talking point — and it’s not true
The White House, however, believes it has one key piece of evidence on its side.
Trump shamelessly lies: "Go to Walmart and other companies, and in every case it's about 25% that a Thanksgiving meal and surroundings are 25% lower. That's big fact."
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) 2025-11-16T23:58:35.286Z
......In reality, the claim is neither big nor a fact, as the president really ought to understand by now.
The truth is simple: Walmart lowered the cost of its Thanksgiving dinner by reducing the number of items included in the package and replacing brand-name products with value products. Consumers will pay less, in other words, because they’ll get less, no thanks to the White House’s misguided agenda......
A couple of days later, after the president repeated the lie at a White House event, a reporter explained reality to him. “I haven’t heard that,” the Republican replied, shortly before condemning the truth as “fake news.”
In the days that followed, he continued to peddle the same falsehood. Members of his team, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Kevin Hassett, the director of the White House National Economic Council, faced similar difficulties reconciling the talking point with the truth.
That leading administration officials, including the president, keep trying to mislead the public about one of the issues Americans care about most is obviously indefensible, but I’m also struck by the bigger picture: Pressed on federal efforts to address consumer costs, the White House has exactly one talking point — and it’s not true
November 17, 2025
https://www.ms.now/news/kash-patel-girlfriend-fbi-detail-alexis-wilkins-rcna243999
Kash Patel's girlfriend being protected by FBI SWAT agents as security perk
Agents on a detail with the country singer would presumably be unable to respond or delayed in responding to other incidents, according to sources.
"People familiar with FBI security protocols said they were unaware of any other instance in which the girlfriends of top FBI officials received government-staffed security details..."
— Rachel Maddow (@maddow.bsky.social) 2025-11-17T18:31:45.296Z
www.ms.now/news/kash-pa...
https://www.ms.now/news/kash-patel-girlfriend-fbi-detail-alexis-wilkins-rcna243999
FBI Director Kash Patel’s country music performer girlfriend currently enjoys the protection of an FBI security detail to shield her from potential threats, prompting concerns that the arrangement may delay law enforcement from responding to other incidents, two people with direct knowledge tell MS NOW.
Alexis Wilkins, Patel’s girlfriend, has a security detail made up of elite FBI agents usually assigned to a SWAT team in the FBI field office in Nashville, where Wilkins spends time for her work. She and Patel first met in Nashville and while they travel together at times, they do not share a residence. Patel often travels to Washington for work but keeps a legal residence in Las Vegas.
People familiar with FBI security protocols said they were unaware of any instance in which the girlfriends of top FBI officials received government-staffed security details. Former FBI Director Christopher Wray’s wife Helen received a security detail; she lived with Wray in their home in Atlanta.
SWAT team agents on a detail with Wilkins would presumably be unable to respond or delayed in responding to crises that might develop in their territory, such as mass shootings or terror attacks, according to the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive security matters......
“There is no legitimate justification for this. This is a clear abuse of position and misuse of government resources,” said Christopher O’Leary, a former senior FBI agent and MS NOW law enforcement contributor. “She is not his spouse, does not live in the same house or even the same city.”
Alexis Wilkins, Patel’s girlfriend, has a security detail made up of elite FBI agents usually assigned to a SWAT team in the FBI field office in Nashville, where Wilkins spends time for her work. She and Patel first met in Nashville and while they travel together at times, they do not share a residence. Patel often travels to Washington for work but keeps a legal residence in Las Vegas.
People familiar with FBI security protocols said they were unaware of any instance in which the girlfriends of top FBI officials received government-staffed security details. Former FBI Director Christopher Wray’s wife Helen received a security detail; she lived with Wray in their home in Atlanta.
SWAT team agents on a detail with Wilkins would presumably be unable to respond or delayed in responding to crises that might develop in their territory, such as mass shootings or terror attacks, according to the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive security matters......
“There is no legitimate justification for this. This is a clear abuse of position and misuse of government resources,” said Christopher O’Leary, a former senior FBI agent and MS NOW law enforcement contributor. “She is not his spouse, does not live in the same house or even the same city.”
November 17, 2025
https://www.ms.now/deadline-white-house/deadline-legal-blog/james-comey-grand-jury-disclosure-judge-trump-rcna244397
Deadline Legal Blog-Judge cites 'disturbing pattern' in ordering disclosure of James Comey grand jury materials
A judge noted “profound investigative missteps” that could “undermine the integrity of the grand jury proceeding” against the former FBI director.
Judge cites ‘disturbing pattern’ in ordering disclosure of James Comey grand jury materials - MS NOW
— (@oc88.bsky.social) 2025-11-17T19:13:34.156Z
apple.news/AGVBkZuUESjm...
https://www.ms.now/deadline-white-house/deadline-legal-blog/james-comey-grand-jury-disclosure-judge-trump-rcna244397
A remarkable ruling in James Comey’s case shows yet another way that the prosecution against the former FBI director could unravel — separate from the pending questions of whether Lindsey Halligan was lawfully appointed and whether the case she brought is unconstitutionally vindictive.
Ordering the rare disclosure of grand jury materials to the defense, U.S. Magistrate Judge William Fitzpatrick concluded that the record in the case “points to a disturbing pattern of profound investigative missteps, missteps that led an FBI agent and a prosecutor to potentially undermine the integrity of the grand jury proceeding.”
Fitzpatrick’s 24-page opinion on Monday paints a damning picture on several fronts of the effort overseen by Halligan, the Trump-installed prosecutor who hadn’t previously prosecuted a case and brought this one over the objection of career prosecutors.
After reviewing the grand jury materials himself, Fitzpatrick wrote that Halligan appeared to make two “fundamental misstatements of the law that could compromise the integrity of the grand jury process.” The specific statements are redacted in the opinion, but the judge noted that they gave grand jurors the wrong impression about Comey’s legal rights......
Though the ruling doesn’t dismiss the case, it represents the latest serious cause for concern for Halligan — if, in fact, she wants this case to get to trial, where it would face its own problems of proving the charges beyond a reasonable doubt.
Ordering the rare disclosure of grand jury materials to the defense, U.S. Magistrate Judge William Fitzpatrick concluded that the record in the case “points to a disturbing pattern of profound investigative missteps, missteps that led an FBI agent and a prosecutor to potentially undermine the integrity of the grand jury proceeding.”
Fitzpatrick’s 24-page opinion on Monday paints a damning picture on several fronts of the effort overseen by Halligan, the Trump-installed prosecutor who hadn’t previously prosecuted a case and brought this one over the objection of career prosecutors.
After reviewing the grand jury materials himself, Fitzpatrick wrote that Halligan appeared to make two “fundamental misstatements of the law that could compromise the integrity of the grand jury process.” The specific statements are redacted in the opinion, but the judge noted that they gave grand jurors the wrong impression about Comey’s legal rights......
Though the ruling doesn’t dismiss the case, it represents the latest serious cause for concern for Halligan — if, in fact, she wants this case to get to trial, where it would face its own problems of proving the charges beyond a reasonable doubt.
November 17, 2025
MaddowBlog-Facing GOP opposition, White House redistricting scheme hits some unexpected roadblocks
Donald Trump's gerrymandering gambit racked up several key victories. Then Republicans in some states started saying the word he didn't want to hear: “No.”
https://x.com/AppaloosaKid/status/1990503179868611026
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/facing-gop-opposition-white-house-redistricting-scheme-hits-unexpected-rcna244373
Roadblocks, however, soon emerged. For one thing, key Democratic officials started pushing back in the opposite direction: California is moving forward with a plan that would match Texas’ scheme, and related efforts are under consideration in Maryland and Virginia. A newly redrawn map in Utah, meanwhile, is likely to deliver another seat to Democrats.
For another, some red states have resisted the White House’s demands. A Trump-backed scheme in New Hampshire stalled; Kansas Republicans have balked, at least for now, in response to a redistricting plan; and GOP officials in Indiana, who’ve been the target of intense White House lobbying, are apparently walking away from the idea. Roll Call reported:
.......As for the bigger picture, The New York Times reported two weeks ago that the Republican White House is responsible for what is effectively “an all-out gerrymandering war,” adding that election lawyers and experts “say that what is happening now is a crisis with few parallels in American history.”
The result is a multifaceted partisan scramble, with Trump and his allies targeting election data, mail-in ballots, voter ID laws, the census, voter registrations and indefensible gerrymandering — not because it’s responsible or because it’ll benefit the public, but because of Republicans’ desperation to hold onto power and to prevent Democrats from gaining a toehold that could lead to any degree of accountability for the president.
The stakes, in other words, are high, and if the redistricting arms race can result in a net gain of a half-dozen or so seats for the GOP — ensuring wins long before voters have their say — it might very well keep Republicans in power for the rest of the decade, no matter what the American people actually want.
For another, some red states have resisted the White House’s demands. A Trump-backed scheme in New Hampshire stalled; Kansas Republicans have balked, at least for now, in response to a redistricting plan; and GOP officials in Indiana, who’ve been the target of intense White House lobbying, are apparently walking away from the idea. Roll Call reported:
Republicans in the Indiana state Senate will not move forward with a plan to redraw the state’s congressional map next month, the chamber’s GOP leader said Friday. ‘Over the last several months, Senate Republicans have given very serious and thoughtful consideration to the concept of redrawing our state’s congressional maps,’ Senate President Pro Tempore Rodric Bray said in a statement. ‘Today, I’m announcing there are not enough votes to move that idea forward, and the Senate will not reconvene in December.’
.......As for the bigger picture, The New York Times reported two weeks ago that the Republican White House is responsible for what is effectively “an all-out gerrymandering war,” adding that election lawyers and experts “say that what is happening now is a crisis with few parallels in American history.”
The result is a multifaceted partisan scramble, with Trump and his allies targeting election data, mail-in ballots, voter ID laws, the census, voter registrations and indefensible gerrymandering — not because it’s responsible or because it’ll benefit the public, but because of Republicans’ desperation to hold onto power and to prevent Democrats from gaining a toehold that could lead to any degree of accountability for the president.
The stakes, in other words, are high, and if the redistricting arms race can result in a net gain of a half-dozen or so seats for the GOP — ensuring wins long before voters have their say — it might very well keep Republicans in power for the rest of the decade, no matter what the American people actually want.
November 17, 2025
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/foreign-governments-figured-receive-favorable-treatment-trump-rcna244414
MaddowBlog-Foreign governments have figured out how to receive favorable treatment from Trump
The White House’s recent interactions with Pakistan, Switzerland and Saudi Arabia offer a case study in how U.S. foreign policy is not supposed to work.
www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...
— Rachel Maddow (@maddow.bsky.social) 2025-11-17T19:29:00.412Z
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/foreign-governments-figured-receive-favorable-treatment-trump-rcna244414
And one day after the Axios report ran, The New York Times published a related report about the American president’s relationship with yet another foreign country:
A related Washington Post report noted that the Saudi crown prince is poised to be rewarded with a black-tie dinner in the White House’s East Room on Nov. 18. The gathering “will have all the trappings of a state visit and wrap a packed day of programming at the White House surrounding Mohammed’s trip, including a meeting with Trump. Members of Congress, administration officials and U.S. business leaders have been invited.”.....
The Times’ report concluded, “That sets up a scenario in which Mr. Trump discusses matters of national security with a foreign leader who is also a key figure in a potential business deal with the president’s family.”
The broader dynamic isn’t altogether new. Qatar, for example, rewarded Trump with a luxury jet and soon after reaped the rewards. Just last month, the American president was caught on a hot mic having an interesting chat with the president of Indonesia, where the Trump organization is building a golf resort.
The point, however, isn’t that the problem is new; the point is the problem seems to be getting worse. Foreign governments are learning how to receive favorable treatment from the Republican White House, through flattery, gifts, lobbying, private business deals or some combination thereof.
The Trump Organization is in talks that could bring a Trump-branded property to one of Saudi Arabia’s largest government-owned real estate developments, according to the chief executive of the Saudi company leading the development. The negotiations are the latest example of President Trump blending governance and family business, particularly in Persian Gulf countries. … Mr. Trump is set to host Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, in Washington next week.
A related Washington Post report noted that the Saudi crown prince is poised to be rewarded with a black-tie dinner in the White House’s East Room on Nov. 18. The gathering “will have all the trappings of a state visit and wrap a packed day of programming at the White House surrounding Mohammed’s trip, including a meeting with Trump. Members of Congress, administration officials and U.S. business leaders have been invited.”.....
The Times’ report concluded, “That sets up a scenario in which Mr. Trump discusses matters of national security with a foreign leader who is also a key figure in a potential business deal with the president’s family.”
The broader dynamic isn’t altogether new. Qatar, for example, rewarded Trump with a luxury jet and soon after reaped the rewards. Just last month, the American president was caught on a hot mic having an interesting chat with the president of Indonesia, where the Trump organization is building a golf resort.
The point, however, isn’t that the problem is new; the point is the problem seems to be getting worse. Foreign governments are learning how to receive favorable treatment from the Republican White House, through flattery, gifts, lobbying, private business deals or some combination thereof.
November 17, 2025
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/fema-chief-resigns-david-richardson-rcna244432
MaddowBlog-Trump-appointed FEMA chief resigns after six troubled months on the job
As the agency’s acting administrator exits, it’s hardly unreasonable to wonder whether FEMA can survive the president’s second term.
The White House fired a sensible FEMA chief in May and replaced with an unqualified loyalist — who just resigned after six unfortunate months on the job.
— Steve Benen (@stevebenen.com) 2025-11-17T18:31:18.947Z
It’s hardly unreasonable to wonder if the agency can survive Trump’s second term. www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/fema-chief-resigns-david-richardson-rcna244432
Now the only running Richardson is doing is running for the exit, after just six months. The Washington Post reported:
....Highlighting additional red tape and bureaucracy imposed by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, NOTUS published a brutal report along these lines in September, noting, “The Trump administration has the Federal Emergency Management Agency in a doom loop, according to current and former employees frustrated with its direction.”
All of this, of course, comes months after Trump said he saw FEMA as an unnecessary department that should be “TERMINATED.” Around the same time, Noem, whose department oversees the emergency response agency, added, “We’re going to eliminate FEMA.”
The White House has since hedged on the agency’s demise — but all things considered, it’s hardly unreasonable to wonder whether the agency can survive Trump’s second term. Watch this space.
David Richardson on Monday resigned as acting head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, according to people familiar with the situation, ending a brief tenure leading an agency the administration had publicly expressed a desire to dismantle. … In recent months, current agency employees said Richardson spent limited time in daily operations meetings and shrank away from his role.
....Highlighting additional red tape and bureaucracy imposed by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, NOTUS published a brutal report along these lines in September, noting, “The Trump administration has the Federal Emergency Management Agency in a doom loop, according to current and former employees frustrated with its direction.”
All of this, of course, comes months after Trump said he saw FEMA as an unnecessary department that should be “TERMINATED.” Around the same time, Noem, whose department oversees the emergency response agency, added, “We’re going to eliminate FEMA.”
The White House has since hedged on the agency’s demise — but all things considered, it’s hardly unreasonable to wonder whether the agency can survive Trump’s second term. Watch this space.
November 17, 2025
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/white-houses-line-trumps-recent-mri-raises-questions-answers-rcna244348
MaddowBlog-The White House's line on Trump's recent MRI raises more questions than answers
Asked about his recent MRI, the president said, “I have no idea what they analyzed.” That doesn’t make the underlying questions go away.
The White House’s line on Trump’s recent MRI raises more questions than answers - MS NOW
— (@oc88.bsky.social) 2025-11-17T15:46:25.105Z
apple.news/AXHTWd4CKSli...
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/white-houses-line-trumps-recent-mri-raises-questions-answers-rcna244348
A week after the medical exam, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt conceded that she didn’t know why this specific test was ordered. A week after that, the president himself acknowledged during a brief Q&A with reporters that he’d undergone magnetic resonance imaging, but he declined to say why his doctors had ordered the scan.
The issue continued to linger in the background for a while. On Nov. 4, Leavitt boasted about Trump’s “optimal physical health,” though she didn’t know the reason for his MRI. On Nov. 12, the press secretary again insisted that the president is in “exceptional physical health,” adding that the MRI results were reviewed by “radiologists and consultants,” but she offered no additional details.
Then on Friday night aboard Air Force One, en route to Mar-a-Lago, Trump provided a bit more of his medical insight.
.....Asked whether the MRI was on his brain, Trump replied, “I have no idea what they analyzed, but whatever they analyzed, they analyzed it well. And they said that I had as good a result as they’ve ever seen.”
It’s entirely possible there’s nothing to this story; but given Trump’s unfortunate record, he hasn’t exactly earned the benefit of the doubt on questions of medical transparency. What’s more, Dr. Vin Gupta, a medical analyst for MS NOW, explained online, “Even if you are leader of the free world, you don’t just get an MRI without a clear reason to do so. There’s no such thing as a ‘screening’ MRI.”
That Trump has said he has “no idea” what the MRI was for doesn’t exactly resolve the underlying questions about what happened or why.
The issue continued to linger in the background for a while. On Nov. 4, Leavitt boasted about Trump’s “optimal physical health,” though she didn’t know the reason for his MRI. On Nov. 12, the press secretary again insisted that the president is in “exceptional physical health,” adding that the MRI results were reviewed by “radiologists and consultants,” but she offered no additional details.
Then on Friday night aboard Air Force One, en route to Mar-a-Lago, Trump provided a bit more of his medical insight.
Trump: I had an MRI and the result was outstanding.
— Acyn (@acyn.bsky.social) 2025-11-15T03:50:11.977Z
Reporter: Was it your brain?
Trump: I have no idea what they analyzed, but whatever they analyzed, they analyzed it well.
.....Asked whether the MRI was on his brain, Trump replied, “I have no idea what they analyzed, but whatever they analyzed, they analyzed it well. And they said that I had as good a result as they’ve ever seen.”
It’s entirely possible there’s nothing to this story; but given Trump’s unfortunate record, he hasn’t exactly earned the benefit of the doubt on questions of medical transparency. What’s more, Dr. Vin Gupta, a medical analyst for MS NOW, explained online, “Even if you are leader of the free world, you don’t just get an MRI without a clear reason to do so. There’s no such thing as a ‘screening’ MRI.”
That Trump has said he has “no idea” what the MRI was for doesn’t exactly resolve the underlying questions about what happened or why.
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