Trump undergoes checkup at Walter Reed amid Middle East trip plans

Agencies :

President Donald Trump visited Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Friday for a medical checkup ahead of a planned trip to the Middle East, the White House said.

Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt described it as a “routine yearly checkup,” though Trump had his annual physical in April.

White House aides have not explained why he is having another exam. Trump told reporters he feels “in great shape” and plans to return to the White House after the visit.

Separately, the White House criticised the Nobel Committee after Trump was passed over for the Nobel Peace Prize.

A spokesman said the committee “placed politics over peace,” noting Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado received the award for promoting democratic rights.

Trump has previously claimed credit for ending global conflicts and sought the prize, though many of his nominations arrived after the deadline.

Meanwhile, National Guard troops are expected to patrol Memphis following a federal judge’s decision to block deployments in the Chicago area for at least two weeks.

The Trump administration cites rising crime as justification, with Tennessee Governor Bill Lee supporting the deployments.