Donald Trump has flashed his bruised and makeup-slathered hand during his visit to Turkey.
The president, 80, arrived in Turkey on Tuesday ahead of a NATO summit, where fellow NATO leader and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, 72, took him by the arm and appeared to guide Trump to the right place during the welcome ceremony.
When the two men later shook hands in front of the gathered press, Trump’s paw flashed for the world to see: dark, tender, and covered in a thick layer of concealer.
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment.
Trump’s troublesome appendage has become one of the most prominent and longest-running health concerns amid an array of worrying symptoms.
A neck rash has also been spotted poking out of the top of his collar, and, as was the case in Turkey, he has appeared unsteady on his feet, particularly on stairs.
The president has also been spotted repeatedly with swollen cankles, which the White House has claimed is caused by the pooling of blood at the bottom of the legs. They say it is common among the elderly.
The administration says the bruising on the back of his hand is caused by a heavy aspirin regimen and a robust hand-shaking schedule.
Questions were raised over the plausibility of the latter when another bruise popped up on his left hand, too.
Trump has also appeared to struggle to stay awake during public events, from meetings in the Oval Office to the NBA playoffs.
The health of both leaders has come under scrutiny over the last year, with Erdoğan feared by some to be suffering from verbal slip-ups and memory lapses.
Sitting down together, Trump wasted no time attacking some of the U.S.’s staunchest allies, telling Erdoğan, “Italy turned us down, and Germany turned us down, and France turned us down,” in reference to the U.S.’s war with Iran.
All of D.C.’s key allies in Europe declined Trump’s call for assistance in the fight, infuriating the White House.
During their meeting, Trump also suggested that Turkey may soon be able to buy F-35 fighter jets from the U.S., which he had blocked in retaliation for Ankara’s purchase of Russian anti-aircraft defenses in 2019, The New York Times reported.
Trump praised Turkey for being “much more loyal” than some other nations.
“We have a better relationship with Turkey, and Turkey has been, in many ways, much more loyal than other countries that we think would be loyal so, yeah, it’s something certainly we would consider,” he said, in reference to the jets.
Before even a day had passed at the summit, the president also fired a shot across the bow of NATO ally Denmark, which owns Trump-coveted Greenland.
“Well, that’s what hurt my relationship with NATO because Greenland doesn’t help Denmark,” he told Erdoğan. “Denmark doesn’t spend money or really help Greenland, but it’s an important part for the United States, and it’s surrounded by China’s ships and Russian ships.”
NATO leaders at the summit had likely hoped to avoid revisiting that delicate conversation with Trump.
