President Donald Trump shielded his bruised hand from the spotlight on Monday.
Trump, 79, kept his left hand firmly glued over his right as he spoke to reporters at the Oval Office.
The president’s hands were noticeably anchored to the Resolute Desk as he spent some 45 minutes taking questions and signing a memorandum instructing federal law enforcement to join the Tennessee National Guard in cracking down on crime in Memphis.
Despite his best efforts at a cover-up, however, images taken during the press conference still captured the bruising on his right hand, which was slathered with makeup.
Trump, who in January became the oldest person inaugurated as president, has been nursing a large bruise on his hand for months.
The president’s makeup-covered hand draws attention every time he steps out, whether he’s at a tennis or baseball match, on a golf trip, or recording an address at the White House.
Despite persistent speculation about the state of Trump’s health, the White House has consistently maintained that there is no cause for concern.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt previously waved off the bruising on Trump’s hand as “minor soft issue irritation” caused by “frequent handshaking and the use of aspirin, which is taken as part of a standard cardiovascular prevention regime.” The White House did not immediately return a fresh request for comment.
It’s not just Trump’s hand that has raised concern over his health.
The president’s swollen ankles have also stirred intrigue, but the White House attributed the swelling to chronic venous insufficiency, a common condition where veins struggle to push blood back to the heart.
Trump further fueled the rumor mill when he showed up at a 9/11 memorial event sporting a droopy face.
Last month, the White House cited disgraced doctor Ronny Jackson in claiming that Trump was “the healthiest president this nation has ever seen” and was “mentally and physically sharper than ever before.”
But two psychologists think there’s more to the story.
On a Friday episode of their Shrinking Trump podcast, John Gartner and Harry Segal speculated that Trump’s swollen ankles could be related to congestive heart failure, while the hand bruises could have been caused by receiving IV fluids. They also expressed concern about Trump dozing off at public events.
“I just wanna point out, this isn’t normal,” Gartner said.
