Donald Trump's right hand showed considerable bruising as he signed two executive orders in the Oval Office on Monday.
Pictures captured during the signing ceremony revealed a large dark mark on the back of his hand, which rested on the Resolute Desk as he held up the orders with his left hand - which also appeared bruised, though less prominently. During most of the public signing, Trump kept his hand concealed, covering it with his left hand.
Social media erupted with reactions to Trump's hand, with one user commenting beneath a video that showed Trump hiding the bruise. The news comes as Fox News was interrupted for a breaking alert in a major blow to Trump.
One user voiced concern and slammed those who have been obsessing over the bruise for the past several weeks. "As you get older you bruise more easily. Something as small as a handshake could cause bruising," the X user wrote.
"Ya'll are worried about Trump's hands but had 0 to say about Biden's cognitive ability. When people would ask questions about it they were attack," they wrote.
The White House has previously blamed the bruising on his regular handshakes with world leaders. Just last week, he met with several leaders, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and six close European allies, all of whom he greeted with a handshake before a historic multilateral meeting discussing Ukraine's security amid its war against invading Russia.
In July, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that the bruising resulted from a combination of Trump's regular handshaking and the "aspirin therapy" he's receiving.
"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 handshaking and the use of aspirin, which is taken as part of a standard cardiovascular prevention regimen," Leavitt explained to the press. "This is a well-known and benign side effect of aspirin therapy.
"The president remains in excellent health, which I think all of you witness on a daily basis here," she added.
Throughout recent weeks and months, Trump has seemingly applied concealer to disguise the bruise on his hand, according to observers. On Friday, for example, the concealer he utilised was swiftly spotted by members of the White House press pool.
The potential makeup application appeared obvious against the president's skin tone, and this was noticeable on Friday as well. It appeared striking on his hand, instantly sparking concerns from both MAGA supporters and detractors.
Trump's additional health issues.
In July, the White House disclosed that Trump had been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency (CVI), a condition that results in poor blood circulation in certain body areas, especially the extremities. The condition primarily impacts those over 70 - Trump is 79 - and is a relatively rare ailment.
This explains the noticeable swelling of Trump's ankles, which appear to protrude from his shoes.
Recent images have surfaced showing Trump's swollen lower legs, causing concern. Leavitt discussed the inflammation at a press conference in July, echoing many of the same comments she made about Trump's injured hand, while emphasising that his daily routine remains unchanged and he continues to be in excellent health.
A medical check-up conducted in April corroborated these observations, although the full results of this examination have not been disclosed.
