Dr. Oz gets all he can handle as reporter closes in on Trump's mounting health questions

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz found himself on the other side of the tough questions Tuesday, fielding a pointed inquiry about President Donald Trump's unusually frequent medical exams during his turn at the White House briefing podium.

Daily Mail reporter Elina Shirazi didn't let Oz — filling in for Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who is on maternity leave — off the hook.

"This is the fourth checkup that the president has had," Shirazi said. "He's supposed to have one a year. He's had several CT heart scans. What are the doctors looking for?"

Oz, a cardiothoracic surgeon by training, brushed off the concern. "I think it's just a routine regular exam," he said, pivoting to praise for the president's vitals. "His cholesterol, his blood pressure, all the numbers are certainly in excellent parameters."

"That amount of energy and that amount of mental acuity does not exist in a vacuum," Oz continued. "The president has unique abilities to just keep going at all hours of the day with remarkable strength."

The frequency of Trump's exams has drawn scrutiny for months. The 79-year-old president has undergone four publicly disclosed medical exams since returning to office in January 2025. His visits included an April 2025 annual exam, an October 2025 follow-up, and a May 2026 exam at Walter Reed — where presidential physician Sean Barbabella confirmed a CT scan was performed to "definitely rule out any cardiovascular issues."

Last summer, Trump was also diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, a condition in which veins struggle to return blood to the heart, causing visible swelling in his legs. The White House insisted there were no serious complications.

After his May visit, Trump declared on social media that "Everything checked out PERFECTLY." His doctor recommended that he lose weight and exercise more.