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White House Holds Briefing as PBS & NPR Face Loss of Federal Funding; White House Gives Health Update on President Trump; Trump Diagnosed With Chronic Venous Insufficiency. Aired 2-2:30p ET
Aired July 17, 2025 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[14:00:00]
REAGAN REESE, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT, THE DAILY CALLER: -- save lives. Could you respond to these concerns?
LEAVITT: The NPR CEO said cutting NPR will be a risk to public safety. I am not sure how NPR helps the public safety of our country, but I do know that NPR, unfortunately, has become really just a propaganda voice for the left. Just a few examples for you. In 2020, NPR refused to cover -- refused to cover the Hunter Biden laptop scandal in the run-up to the election. They said their assertions don't amount to much, writing they did not want to waste the listeners' and readers' time on stories that are just pure distractions. That does not sound like an unbiased opinion. That sounds like a partisan opinion to me.
And this is a taxpayer funded organization. In 2018, that same CEO that you're talking about called the President in the Oval Office, who nearly 80 million Americans elected, she called him racist, shared a photo of herself wearing a Biden for President campaign hat, serves on the board of a Soros funded activist group. In 2020, PBS's White House Correspondent at the time characterized President Trump's speech then at Mount Rushmore as a love letter to white resentment, promoting the Myth of America.
In 2017, PBS devoted an entire panel talking about what it means to be woke and white privilege. In 2023, PBS' Washington Week Roundtable covered up Joe Biden's clear mental divine. That's actually quite the clip. I would encourage all of you to look at it. These are not honest news organizations. These are partisan left-wing outlets that are funded by the taxpayers, and this administration does not believe it's a good use of the taxpayer's time and money. Ed Lawrence?
EDWARD LAWRENCE, CORRESPONDENT, FOX BUSINESS NETWORK: Yeah, thanks, Karoline. I'm going to ask you about the Federal Reserve. So, does the president believe that the slightly restrictive monetary policy stance right now, could that cause an economic slowdown? And if he does believe that, when?
LEAVITT: What policy are you referring to?
LAWRENCE: No, could -- the stance of the monetary policy is slightly restrictive. Does the president believe that that stance, the slightly restrictive stance, could cause an economic slowdown in itself? LEAVITT: Well, I haven't heard the president discuss that specifically, but what I do know in regards to the Federal Reserve is the president has been very transparent about his displeasure with both the policies and the management of the Fed. And he spoke about that to all of you pretty extensively in the Oval Office yesterday.
LAWRENCE: Yeah. And last, one more, if I could. Last month, the Canadian Prime Minister said the president had agreed to a July 21st deadline to sort of work towards a trade agreement. That's four days from now. Could there be a trade agreement with Canada in four days?
LEAVITT: Well, look, we'll see. The trade team continues to be very active in our conversations. In discussions with Canada, the president himself has said, unfortunately, our neighbors to the north have been pretty difficult to deal with when it comes to matters on trade. But in trade, generally speaking, as you know, 25 countries have received letters thus far from the president directly, with his big, beautiful signature on them from Japan to Korea, South Africa, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, just a few countries. And Canada also received a letter for 35 percent.
With that said, if countries want to have legitimate further discussions, the Trump Administration and the president's trade teams are willing to have further talks. But these letters these countries have been receiving are the deals. And as the president has said, those deals will be made. They are tailor country -- tailor made to each and every country based on the United States' concerns and what's in the best interest of the American worker and the American people. Charlie, go ahead.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you, Karoline.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The president --
LEAVITT: No, I called on Charlie -- but Dean (ph), you can go ahead too. Go ahead.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The president said that, he floated the idea of a special prosecutor in the Epstein case. Can you confirm that? And does he -- has he asked the Attorney General to do this, to appoint a special prosecutor to look it over?
LEAVITT: Well, the idea was floated from someone in the media to the president. The president would not recommend a special prosecutor in the Epstein case. That's how he feels. And as for his discussions with the Attorney General, I'm not sure. Deanna?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Karoline, thank you so much. Do you know what the president's reaction was to Mike Johnson saying that he wants additional files released, the Epstein files? Was there a conversation with Mike Johnson about that following his comments?
LEAVITT: I won't discuss the President's private conversations with the Speaker of the House, but as I answered to Jacqui's question earlier, the president has said If the Attorney General and the Department of Justice and the FBI have any more credible evidence in regards to Jeffrey Epstein's crimes, they should put that forward. He has called on them to do that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you, Karoline. So --
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: With a few days -- with a few days -- with a few days --
LEAVITT: I'll go to all of you, starting with the lady in the blue. Go ahead.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: With a few days to the August 9th deadline, how are the negotiations with Europe going? There's some sticking points, what are they? Can we expect a delay or should we expect a deal soon?
LEAVITT: Well, the -- I believe the deadline is August 1st. As for the European Union, they continue to be very eager in negotiating with our country for obvious reasons, on ways to lower their tariff and their non-tariff barriers that we have long said harm our workers and our companies. So, the president's trade team continues to be in talks with the European Union.
[14:05:00]
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Would he accept or would he put forth a postponement of the August 1st?
LEAVITT: He has already said he will not. Owen (ph), go ahead.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good afternoon, Karoline. In Gaza today, Holy Family Catholic Church was struck by an Israeli shell.
LEAVITT: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Three people were killed, 10 wounded. What is the president's reaction to that church coming under fire?
LEAVITT: It was not a positive reaction. He called Prime Minister Netanyahu this morning to address the strikes on that church in Gaza. And I understand the Prime Minister agreed to put out a statement. It was a mistake by the Israelis to hit that Catholic Church. That's what the Prime Minister relayed to the President. And you should look at the Prime Minister's statement that will be coming. Christine (ph), go ahead.
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Back to your letter that you read at the beginning.
LEAVITT: Sure.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The president, you said mild swelling in his legs. Is he --
LEAVITT: Yes, sir. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is it causing him any discomfort? How are you treating it?
LEAVITT: Nope. No discomfort from the president at all. And you probably all see that on a day-to-day basis. He's working around the clock. As for the treatments, I can defer to the president's physician, and we'll get you this letter. I think it will answer all your questions.
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Inaudible) reports that a Chinese-born banker who works in Atlanta for Wells Fargo is being prevented from leaving China. Has the president -- is he going to bring this up with President Xi? Are you aware of the case?
LEAVITT: I'm not aware of the case, but I'm sure our National Security Council team is, Steve (ph), we'll get you some answers on that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.
LEAVITT: Justine (ph)?
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you, Karoline. Two questions. So the first is that President Trump said that the Attorney General only gave him a brief overview of what was in these Epstein files. Does he have knowledge or an understanding of what is in the files related to Epstein that have not been released?
LEAVITT: Not to my knowledge. And that's a question for the Attorney General, as I said. And the president has told the Attorney General, if they have any more credible evidence, they should release It.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is that evidence -- would she have to run that by the president before she released it?
LEAVITT: I don't think so. He said if she has any more credible evidence, she should release it. Go ahead.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.
LEAVITT: Go ahead. Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Great. Thank you. Thank you, Karoline. Two questions. One, today --
LEAVITT: And you can go ahead, Andrew. Don't worry.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Today, tens of thousands of folks are rallying nationwide to honor the legacy of Congressman John Lewis. Meanwhile, Republicans in Texas reportedly are working to redraw Congressional maps at President Trump's urging. How is President Trump reconciling his call to action for Texas Republicans with the legacy of Representative John Lewis?
LEAVITT: I'm not quite sure how the two things are related. I think the president would agree that John Lewis served our country for many, many years. It has nothing to do with the redistricting efforts that are currently underway by Texas Republicans to add seats to their legislature. They have the right to do that. The president spoke to the Congressmen and women who serve the great state of Texas about it, but it's up to them and it's up to their legislature to get that approved.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And Karoline --
LEAVITT: Go ahead.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The second question.
LEAVITT: Go ahead.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Does the President support the Justice Department's request for just one day in jail for the officer convicted in Breonna Taylor's killing? And what message does he believe that sends her family and the other family seeking justice in cases of police violence?
LEAVITT: I haven't talked to the president about that case. Go ahead.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The president --
LEAVITT: Go ahead.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When the president met the interim president of Syria a couple of months ago, he described him as a young, tough, attractive guy. After the latest clashes in Syria over the last few days, does President Trump still support Syria's interim president?
LEAVITT: The president still supports Syria's pathway to a peaceful and prosperous country. And you received an update directly from the Secretary of State on the ongoing situation between Syria and Israel. I spoke to him myself this morning to get an update. And as soon as the United States became involved in this conflict, we were able to de-escalate, de-conflict, that seems to be continuing. Israel agreed -- or Syria agreed to draw back their troops that were in the area where that clash was ongoing. And we continue to be very actively monitoring the situation.
The president wants to see Syria become a prosperous and stable country and by the lifting of the sanctions on Syria, he's giving them a real chance to do that. And he wants to see that through. Andrew, go ahead.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So on Tuesday, the president told a very detailed story about his uncle, noted scientist John Trump and Theodore Kaczynski, the late Unabomber. He said that Dr. Trump taught Ted Kaczynski. Ted Kaczynski was not identified as the Unabomber until 1996, 11 years after John Trump passed away. It would've been impossible for John Trump to have ever discussed the Unabomber with the president. So, what was he talking about? And I have one follow- up.
LEAVITT: Andrew, with so many issues going on in the world, I'm a little bit surprised you would ask such a question, although I'm not, sometimes coming from you, I will say, but I'm willing to give you an answer nevertheless. The president's uncle did in fact teach at MIT.
[14:10:00]
He was a very intelligent professor. The president's very proud of his family. In fact, I have a -- or the president has a letter from his uncle on the MIT letterhead that sits in the Oval Office dining room. Maybe we'll let you see it sometime.
(CROSSTALK)
LEAVITT: Elizabeth?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And then, one more -- Karoline, one more on --
LEAVITT: Elizabeth?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Will the president consider pardoning Ghislaine Maxwell --
LEAVITT: Elizabeth?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- if the Epstein case is a hoax?
ELIZABETH MITCHELL, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT, DAILY SIGNAL: OK. I'll start off with, the president said last week he would not be getting involved in the New York City mayoral case. If that mayoral race, if that's still the case, given his history drawing a large crowd in New York City, what's his reason for staying out of it in that way?
LEAVITT: Well, look, I think the president reserves the right to get involved in races or not get involved in races, and he has made the decision not to weigh in on the New York mayoral race, as you rightly pointed out. Although he has gone as far to say, he absolutely does not want to see Mamdani elected, who is a known communist who supports the abolishment of private property, the defunding of police.
He has made very well-known anti-Semitic statements. It would be a disaster for New York and for this country. And I think it's quite telling that this individual, a known communist, has been spending time in Washington this week meeting with leaders on Capitol Hill. This is truly where the Democrat Party is headed. Clearly, they learned nothing from November 5th and the president's overwhelming victory.
(CROSSTALK)
LEAVITT: Mary (ph), go ahead.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you, Karoline. I want to backtrack to the hospitals that have stopped providing transgender surgeries and hormones for kids. On this front, does that have anything to do with the DOJ subpoenas last week? Should we expect any more hospitals be shutting down their programs? And I wanted to also ask what you make of all these media reports, especially the AP, which I noticed, which portrays these children as losing something that's saving their lives.
LEAVITT: Yes. I think the president spoke a lot about this issue which is a political issue, but also really a cultural issue that impacts children and families. He talked about it a lot on the campaign, and I think he was quite surprised by the uptick we were seeing in the embracement by the Democrat Party when it comes to the chemical castration and mutilation of young, innocent bodies. And so, the President made it a very early priority to sign very strong executive orders, to cut off the funding for any hospital or any medical facility in this country that provides such barbaric procedures.
And as a result of that strong policy and the president's strong common sense position on this issue, we've had such an overwhelming response, which is great for children in Arizona. Phoenix Children's Hospital has stopped providing puberty blockers and hormone therapy to minors. In California, Stanford Medicine ended sex change surgeries for minors. Children's Hospital Los Angeles is closing its center for trans youth health and development surgical program. In Illinois, Lurie Children's Hospital Chicago stopped sex change surgeries.
Again, let's think about what we're talking about here, sex change surgeries for minors. These are barbaric practices that no children, no child, innocent child should have to endure. And the president wants to protect the innocence of children, and I know the vast majority of Americans support him in that effort. This is a wildly popular in common sense, endeavor this administration has taken and we've seen many of these medical institutions have followed through with the president's executive orders, but we'll continue to take further action on this important issue. Garrett?
GARRETT HAAKE, SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT, NBC NEWS: I too feel -- indulge me.
LEAVITT: Sure.
HAAKE: On the rescissions package, I wonder what the White House makes of this theory that it increases the odds of a shutdown. The theory is basically why would any Democrat vote for a bipartisan spending deal with Republicans if Republicans can turn around and claw the money back the next day?
LEAVITT: Look, $9 billion worth of crap that was in our federal funding, that is now being rescinded. This is a good thing for the American people and the American taxpayer. And I think our Office of Management and Budget Director was saying this process should be more bipartisan. Democrats, there was a time in this country where Democrats too cared about getting rid of waste, fraud and abuse in our federal spending. I think every American agrees the government spends way too much money on things that don't matter.
Some of those things includes PBS and NPR, or for instance, the Democracy Fund, which was funded to the tune of $83 million through the Department of State, but they were giving hundreds of thousands of dollars for gender equality and empowerment hubs in Yemen, $3.9 million for strengthening information integrity, equality and democracy for LGBTQI population of the Western Balkans. These are not good uses of the taxpayer funds and Republicans are proud to lead that effort, and we wish more Democrats would join us in that.
HAAKE: I wanted to follow-up on the Maurene Comey question, just to clarify, did the White House have any knowledge or did the president sign off on her firing?
LEAVITT: This was a decision that was made by the Department of Justice.
[14:15:00]
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There was an agreement that was made between Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services regarding access to Medicaid information for 92 million Medicaid recipients around the country. That includes health information. So, how does that not violate HIPAA violations and privacy concerns, for example, of American citizens?
LEAVITT: I'm going to have to defer you to Immigration and Customs Enforcement on that. I'm unfamiliar with that agreement that they made.
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thanks, Karoline. Two questions. Russ Vought said today he's going to be looking into cost overruns in the Fed's renovation projects. Is there a deadline for him to come back with findings to the president?
LEAVITT: I don't believe there's a deadline the president has set for Russ Vought, but I think, again, this is a good use of taxpayer's time to look into this, project that is millions and millions of dollars over budget. It's for a big beautiful mansion for the Federal Chairman -- Reserve Chairman, and I understand that it costs much more than it did the beautiful palace that many of you joined us at when we went overseas. So, it's completely unnecessary. It's overpriced and I think it's a good thing the administration, led by the president, is looking into it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Were to find wrongdoing or fraud, would the president reconsider firing Jerome Powell?
LEAVITT: Look, it's a hypothetical question. We'll see where it goes. The president spoke about how he feels on this matter yesterday.
Go ahead.
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you so much, Karoline. So we saw Ambassador Huckabee arrive to Prime Minister Netanyahu trial to show his support. Does the president plan to impose any kind of sanctions against the Israel judicial system?
LEAVITT: I don't have any update for you on that or any announcement on that front. I don't believe so.
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Does the president believe that justice has been served in the Epstein case?
LEAVITT: Look, the president believes that he directed the Department of Justice to do an exhaustive and thorough review, and they did that and they all agreed, the FBI Director, the Deputy FBI Director, the Attorney General on the memo that they drafted and they released.
(CROSSTALK)
LEAVITT: Go ahead.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Karoline, just a follow-up on Reagan's question. Representative Salazar's bill, it grants illegal aliens with legal status for seven year increments. It also gives permanent path to residency for so-called Dreamers. And President Trump and Labor Secretary Chavez, who previously co-sponsored a version of this bill when she was in the House, they've spoken about a work deal similar to the bill, I believe. What's the difference between a work deal and amnesty?
LEAVITT: Look, as I told Reagan, the president, the White House has -- have not reviewed this specific piece of legislation. It's just not where our focus has been. But the president for one, has been very clear. He does not support amnesty.
(CROSSTALK)
LEAVITT: We'll go to -- oh, look at some friends in the back. Brian (ph), go ahead. You didn't show up early enough to get some good real estate up here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I love it. Any update on the auto pen? I know that there was some, the DOJ and some others were looking into the thousands of documents that were signed off just before Joe Biden left office. Any update on the auto pen?
LEAVITT: Yes. I'm not laughing at you, I'm just laughing at how far away you are and you're going to need to get some microphones back there. And the auto pen investigation, yes, the White House Counsel's office has launched their own investigation into former President Biden's usage of the auto pen. We have requested some documents from the National Archives, and again, as I've said many times from this podium and the president has said as well, it's incredibly important that we get to the bottom of who really was at the tip of the spear and the decision making process here in the White House because former President Biden himself admitted to The New York Times.
I understand he never gave interviews when he was here, but now, all of a sudden he wants to give one. And he said that he did not actually review every single pardon that he signed on his way out the door. That's incredibly concerning. And I can tell you it's something this president would never tolerate. This is a president who is signing things all the time. Any document that has legal implications, this president's signature is on it because he's the one making the decisions. It does not appear that was the truth in the previous White House. And I know the American people want to receive answers on who was running the show because the decisions that were made in this place really destroyed our country. And we deserve to get to the bottom of it. Mark (ph) in the back.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thanks. Some Christian groups are complaining that they're not able to get visas as quickly to travel to Israel, and it's been elevated to Ambassador Huckabee's station. Is the White House aware of that? Does it have any reaction to that? And is that part of the president's disappointment with Netanyahu's government?
LEAVITT: Look, I'm not aware of that, Mark (ph). But I'm sure again, our National Security Council is, and also the State Department, as you know, travel visas roll through Secretary Rubio's shop over there, whom we work very closely with. So we will check in on the matter, but I know overall, this president and the administration do want to streamline the visa process to make it easier for both Americans who want to travel abroad and people abroad who want to come to our country the legal way. Go ahead.
[14:20:00]
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you, Karoline. Two questions for you. First --
LEAVITT: I was going to the gentleman above you, but go ahead, Libby (ph), and then you can go.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm sorry. OK, two questions for you. The first is during the Hill Nation Summit, Secretary Noem suggested there could be some changes to TSA's liquid limits. Is the president aware of that? Is that an idea that he's backing? And what would that timeline and the changes look like?
LEAVITT: Sure. I would defer you to the Department of Homeland Security, but I did see Secretary Noem's comments, and I think it's great that on day one, she asked TSA what are we doing right? What are we doing wrong? How can we make air travel more efficient, while maintaining utmost security for American passengers and travelers? And I know they announced no more shoes or you don't need to take off your shoes anymore at the airport, which I think is welcome news to all of us who travel a lot. But further guidance or decisions, of course, that's in the Secretary of Homeland Security's overview, and I would defer to her.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And the other question --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (Inaudible) trip today to Alcatraz. I'm curious what the funding is going to look like for that and who the president does want to see incarcerated there.
LEAVITT: Sure.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: -- if it were to become functional.
LEAVITT: Sure. Well, this was an idea of the president. He spoke about it in May, and he directed his administration to review a reopening plan for Alcatraz, if it is possible, which is why the Attorney General and the Secretary of Interior have traveled there today. They are touring the site. And if the Alcatraz Prison is reopened, it would be under the purview of the Bureau of Prisons. And the Secretary of Interior also would play a big role in this as well.
So, they're there to review the site today, and I'm sure you'll hear more from them on it later. And just to follow-up, Libby (ph), on who the president wants to see housed in Alcatraz, the worst of the worst criminals in this country, both American criminals who convict heinous crimes, but also illegal alien criminals before deportation as well.
Go ahead.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The State Department yesterday urged the Chinese Communist Party to cease its campaign to eradicate Falun Gong as a peaceful spiritual practice. With the anniversary of this brutal persecution approaching, does the White House have a message for the CCP on this?
LEAVITT: Well, I will get you one and we'll get back to you.
(CROSSTALK)
LEAVITT: Go ahead. We'll take -- go ahead and then go ahead.
(CROSSTALK)
LEAVITT: I've never called on you. Why don't you go ahead, in the red tie. Dr. Harper (ph) behind. Yes, go ahead. Go ahead.
MATHIAS BROTERO, INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT, RECORDTV BRAZIL: Me? Thanks.
LEAVITT: Yes.
BROTERO: Thank you, Karoline.
LEAVITT: Yes, you. What's your name?
BROTERO: My name is Mathias. Thank you.
LEAVITT: What's your outlet?
BROTERO: I'm from RecordTV Brazil.
LEAVITT: Great.
BROTERO: Brazil's President Lula recently said that President Trump was elected to govern the United States and not to act as the emperor of the world. And he also emphasized that Brazil is open to negotiation. I'd like to hear what you have to say about it, what the administration has to say about it, and specifically what areas are currently open to negotiation in the light of the 50 percent tariffs that were announced.
LEAVITT: Sure. The president is certainly not trying to be the emperor of the world. He is a strong president for the United States of America, and he's also the leader of the free world. And we've seen a great shift across the entire globe because of the strong leadership of this president. In regards to Brazil, the president sent a letter to Brazil, announcing their new tariff percentage. He also directed our USTR Ambassador Jamieson Greer to launch an investigation of Brazil under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, designed to address unfair foreign practices that are affecting U.S. Commerce.
For years, we know Brazil's digital regulations and weak IP protections have undermined U.S. tech and innovative companies. And their tolerance of illegal deforestation and other environmental practices puts American producers, manufacturers, farmers, and ranchers who follow better environmental standards at a competitive disadvantage. So this is -- this president always acts in the best interest of the American people and the United States of America, and we will continue to do so.
Thank you very much, everyone. We'll see you later. I appreciate the enthusiasm today.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you, Karoline.
OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN CO-ANCHOR OF "CNN NEWS CENTRAL": All right. We've been listening to the White House press briefing there, hit a number of topics, most notably, or among the notable topics, we heard about the president's medical condition, with the White House press secretary there saying that he was evaluated by the White House Medical Unit after questions and after the president noticed some swelling in his legs, and they said in an effort of transparency, that they -- that tests were performed. I want you to just listen to the sound here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEAVITT: Speculating about bruising on the president's hand and also swelling in the president's legs.
[14:25:00]
So, in the effort of transparency, the president wanted me to share a note from his physician with all of you today. In recent weeks, President Trump noted mild swelling in his lower legs. In keeping with routine medical care and out of an abundance of caution, this concern was thoroughly evaluated by the White House Medical Unit. The president underwent a comprehensive examination including diagnostic vascular studies. Bilateral lower extremity venous Doppler ultrasounds were performed and revealed chronic venous insufficiency, a benign and common condition, particularly in individuals over the age of 70.
Importantly, there was no evidence of deep vein thrombosis or arterial disease. Laboratory testing included a complete blood count, comprehensive metabolic panel, coagulation profile, D-dimer, B-type natriuretic peptide, and cardiac biomarkers. All results were within normal limits. An echocardiogram was also performed and confirmed normal cardiac structure and function. No signs of heart failure, renal impairment, or systemic illness were identified. Additionally, recent photos of the president have shown minor bruising on the back of his hand. This is consistent with minor soft tissue irritation from frequent hand shaking and the use of aspirin, which is taken as part of a standard cardiovascular prevention regimen. This is a well-known and benign side effect of aspirin therapy, and the president remains in excellent health, which I think all of you witness on a daily basis here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CO-ANCHOR OF "CNN NEWS CENTRAL": All right, let's bring in Emergency Physician Dr. Jeremy Faust to talk a little bit about what we are hearing there. Doctor, take us through this because it's really two things that we're hearing. Chronic venous insufficiency, a benign, I think I heard her say when it came to the swollen ankles that had been observed. And then also, she's saying bruising on the back of the hand due to aspirin regimen combined with a lot of handshaking. Take us through this.
DR. JEREMY FAUST, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF EMERGENCY MEDICINE, HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL: Thanks. Yeah, thanks for having me. First thing, I think that we're just hearing a lot of medical jargon such that -- even you're just mentioning AB9. I think you're hearing her just saying a benign condition.
KEILAR: Oh, a benign.
FAUST: A benign condition is what she is saying.
(LAUGH)
KEILAR: A benign and common condition.
FAUST: Which is great, right? But it's always good to unpack all of these terms. So, what happened here was good medical care so far, and it's basically not alarming information and it's not surprising. The president is an older man, I believe he just turned 79 years old. He has had risk factors for this condition that they're talking about, which is called chronic venous insufficiency. And what that really means is that the blood that goes out of the heart has to return to the heart through the veins. And as we age, some of that blood flow back to the heart, that's called venous return, just slows down in some patients more than others. And that can lead to things like swelling. That can lead to -- that can look like things that many people would be familiar with, like varicose veins.
So, this is a pretty normal part of aging and especially for someone in the overweight to obese category, which is where the president has always been. And -- but the bigger concern, which was addressed in that information that we just heard about, is that symptoms like this do need to be evaluated for more serious conditions. And that is what happened.
JIMENEZ: And I want to bring in Cardiologist, Dr. Bernard Ashby (ph), as well to this conversation because to Dr. Faust's point, as the White House press secretary laid out, there was no evidence of deep vein thrombosis or arterial disease and what they laid out, even with this diagnosis of chronic venous insufficiency. Can you just -- can you just break down what the concern may have been or would've been if there was deep vein thrombosis, and why the need to make that distinction was necessary?
We might be having some audio issues. But Dr. Faust, can -- if you're still on the line, can I just pose that same question to you, just about the deep vein thrombosis and why that distinction is necessary?
FAUST: Yeah. This is the important thing. When people have symptoms, they want to get looked at to find out if there's a danger or whether it's a relatively less dangerous, benign condition that's just causing some discomfort. And as stated, a deep vein thrombosis is what the concern would be. That is an abnormal blood clot. We are always -- our blood is always on this balance between how thick and thin it should be. And we have an amazing -- we have amazing bodies that keep our blood in a really narrow range of how thin or thick it should be for our own safety. Too thin, you bleed too much. Too thick, you make clots which blocks off blood supply to vital organs --
