President Donald Trump is getting a check-up at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. The White House announced the visit earlier this week. Trump is preparing to travel to the Middle East shortly after his medical exam.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt described the visit earlier this week as a “routine yearly checkup,” although the Republican president had his annual physical in April.
White House aides have declined to explain
why Trump is getting another checkup Friday. Trump told reporters Thursday he thinks he’s in great shape. Trump plans to return to the White House after the visit.
The latest:
The White House is responding bitterly to President Donald Trump being passed over for the Nobel Peace Prize despite efforts from Republicans and world leaders.
A White House spokesman said Friday members of “the Nobel Committee proved they place politics over peace” because they didn’t recognize Trump. Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado received the award for her work promoting democratic rights.
Trump has long desired the prize, claiming credit for ending global conflicts. Although the Republican president received nominations, many came after the deadline. The Nobel Peace Prize aims to encourage peace efforts, with past winners including three sitting U.S. presidents. Critics argue Trump’s nominations are more about manipulation than merit.
National Guard troops are expected to begin patrolling in Memphis.
The patrols are expected Friday after a federal judge in Illinois ruled Thursday to block a deployment in the Chicago-area for at least two weeks.
Trump is pushing to deploy the National Guard to several U.S. cities. His administration claims crime in those cities is rampant, despite statistics not always backing that up.
Tennessee Republican Gov. Bill Lee supports the deployment. A president can dispatch active duty military in states that fail to put down an insurrection or defy federal law. The judge in Illinois says she found no substantial evidence of rebellion.
