Rep. Neal Dunn of Florida just got a major health breakthrough. Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson revealed Monday that Dunn (R-Fla.) received a terminal diagnosis for a heart problem, and doctors initially predicted the North Florida lawmaker would "be dead by June." The revelation came during a White House event as Trump discussed the GOP's razor-thin House majority.
Trump connected the congressman to care at Walter Reed Medical Center after learning about Dunn's dire prognosis. Trump said he introduced 73-year-old Dunn to White House physicians who offered expert medical help. The response was swift: Trump's doctors went to see Dunn and he was "on the operating table like two hours later. They gave him more stents and more everything that you can have."
Johnson said Dunn has "a new lease on life" and "acts like he's 30 years younger," noting that Dunn "walked into the conference meeting and we thought we'd seen a ghost." The diagnosis offers an explanation for Dunn's sudden announcement in January that he wouldn't seek a sixth term, putting rumors about his possible resignation to rest.
The revelation raised concerns about the House GOP's super-slim majority, with Johnson noting that the diagnosis had prompted Dunn to consider retiring back to Florida. Dunn's office previously told The Hill that he "will remain in Congress to represent his constituents through the end of this term." Despite his health challenges, the 73-year-old Florida Republican has shown remarkable resilience, and his recovery marks an unexpected turn in a story that could have dramatically shifted Republican leverage in Congress.