President Trump on Monday publicly revealed details of a fellow Republican's serious health condition—information House Speaker Mike Johnson indicated had not been disclosed before. Speaking to reporters at the Kennedy Center, Trump began discussing the GOP's narrow House majority and recent member departures when he referenced a Republican lawmaker who was "very ill," the Washington Post reports. After prompting from Trump, Johnson identified the member as Florida Rep. Neal Dunn, 73, who announced in January that he would not seek a sixth term but did not specify a medical reason. Johnson described Dunn's situation as a "pretty grim" and "terminal" diagnosis.
Trump then interjected that doctors had told Dunn he could be "dead by June," prompting Johnson to say, "Okay, that wasn't public." Trump added that Dunn has heart problems. Johnson went on to say that Trump connected Dunn with his own doctors, leading to emergency treatment at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. A subsequent procedure, Johnson said, gave Dunn "a new lease on life," adding that the congressman now "acts like he's 30 years younger" and is "encouraged and thankful." Trump said that at Walter Reed, "they gave him more stents, and more everything that you could have," the Hill reports.
Republican Rep. Doug LaMalfa, 65, died unexpectedly in early January. Trump said Monday that the GOP's margin was up to four, "and then we had a death. And the death is very bad when you have a majority of two or three." He said he was alarmed to hear about Dunn's diagnosis, the New York Times reports. "Number one, it was bad because I liked him," he said. "Number two, it was bad because I needed his vote." Trump added: "I did it for him first and the vote second. But it was a close second."