Donald Trump plastered his chronically bruised hand in a thick coat of makeup as he accepted a made-up award from a pro-coal group at the White House.
The 79-year-old president’s heavy makeup was visible from a distance as he made his way through the White House to arrive at the event on Wednesday.
The chalky beige coating stretched from his wrist down towards his knuckles on his right hand.
Trump has gone to great lengths to cover up the large purple bruise he has sported on his right hand for months, which the White House and the president have attributed to aspirin use and frequent handshaking.
When reached for comment on Trump’s makeup at Wednesday’s event, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told the Daily Beast in a statement, “President Trump is a man of the people and he meets more Americans and shakes their hands on a daily basis than any other President in history. His commitment is unwavering and he proves that every single day.”
But Leavitt’s often-used handshake defense has lost some credibility since the right-handed president’s left hand began showing discoloration as well.
Last month, Trump attended the World Economic Forum in Davos with dark bruising on both of his hands, with particularly severe marks on his left.
Asked about them on his way back to Washington, Trump said, “I clipped them on a table.”
The elderly president also attributed the bruise to his unusual aspirin regimen. His doctor, Navy Capt. Sean Barbabella, says Trump takes 325 milligrams of aspirin a day—a much larger dose than the usual 81 milligrams—for “cardiac prevention.”
Trump insists on taking a higher dose than Barbabella recommends.
“They say, ‘Take the smaller one,’ I say, ‘Well, I want that blood to be nice and thin running through my heart,’” he told NBC’s Tom Llamas last week.
In the same interview, he claimed, “Physically and mentally, I feel like I did 50 years ago,” despite his multiple health issues and apparent cognitive decline.
During his self-indulgent speech at the event on Wednesday, where the Washington Coal Club presented Trump with the “Undisputed Champion of Beautiful Clean Coal” award, the president slurred his words, sparking health concerns.
“I’m proud to officially name the undispuut...” Trump said, before muttering unintelligible gibberish for about two seconds.
“When did this come out? Mr. Speaker,” he said, before appearing to remember his lines and getting back on track. “The undisputed champion of beautiful, clean coal.”
The Daily Beast has documented Trump’s deteriorating health in his second term, reporting last week that the president, who frequently naps during official meetings, suffered from swollen ankles at his meeting with Colombian President Gustavo Petro.
The White House revealed last year that Trump had been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, a condition common in seniors where leg veins struggle to push blood back up to the heart.
