After having his ear nicked by an assassin's bullet during his appearance at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, Donald Trump made some puzzling demands that baffled his aides and doctors.
In an excerpt of the upcoming book, “2024: How Trump Retook the White House and the Democrats Lost America,” to be published on July 8, the Washington Post selected a moment-by-moment recollection of the events of the day — and what followed after Trump was rushed to a nearby hospital.
According to the book, written by journalists Josh Dawsey, Tyler Pager and Isaac Arnsdorf, before the president was released by doctors he demanded a CT scan, because he wanted evidence about the state of his brain.
The book details, "In Trump’s room, he told the doctor he wanted a CT scan. The doctor asked why, and Trump said he felt like he needed it," adding that he was then escorted by Secret Service agents to be tested.
After returning, he pressed Chief of Staff Susie Wiles to obtain the scan "film," which baffled her.
"He asked to see the 'film' from the scan. The doctor said that wasn’t done anymore, and offered him a written report," the book noted before adding, Trump repeated his demand, "I want the film."
"She [Wiles] left to get a copy of the image, and while she was gone, one of the aides asked him why. 'It’s like an IQ test,' Trump said. 'They tell you that your brain is good, so I just want to have that,'" the WaPo report added.
"Wiles put the images in a manila envelope in her bag. [Trump aide Walt] Nauta returned with a new pair of sneakers and a golf shirt from a local store. Trump said he didn’t want the shirt. He would wear his suit. Wiles said he couldn’t wear that suit with blood everywhere. He argued with the staff and eventually changed," the book added.
You can read more from the excerpt here.