Donald Trump has been showing off his gnarly mitts again.
The 80-year-old president has long been afflicted by a mystery bruise on his hands, especially the right hand, which the White House has tried to palm off as nothing more than the result of an overactive handshaking schedule.
Trump was headed to Gastonia, North Carolina, on Wednesday to give a speech ahead of November’s midterms, but as he deplaned at Charlotte International Airport, he clutched the rail of the Air Force One stairs to reveal a painful-looking paw.
There was one difference. Instead of his usual right, this time the markings were on his left.
Also different was the formation. While past sightings have shown large slabs of bruising covering the back of his hand, this week’s edition was more mottled, with hues of deep purple and blue in different shapes and sizes.
Makeup also appeared on his right hand, visible as he spoke to reporters next to Air Force One.
The marks on his hands are just one of the many presidential ailments that have become increasingly hard to ignore.
Trump often appears to be unsteady on his feet, veering around on his walks and clutching stair rails as he descends.
There has also been the angry rash on his neck and the increasingly rambling, hard-to-follow speeches.
The president’s short temper is also on show regularly, especially in the presence of female reporters. But what has become most obvious is his propensity to fall asleep in public, dozing off everywhere from the Oval Office to Madison Square Garden.
In North Carolina, after coming on stage to Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the U.S.A.,” Trump ripped into former Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, who is running for Senate, over the state’s crime rate.
He called Cooper a radical, a “murderer protector,” and claimed that “for the people of North Carolina, this election is about safety and bad management.”
Trump is backing Michael Whatley, who hopes to succeed the outgoing Republican Sen. Thom Tillis, calling him the “law-and-order candidate,” The Gaston Gazette reported.
The latest poll, conducted at the turn of the month by East Carolina University, currently puts Cooper at 46 percent, ahead of Whatley on 39 percent.
Trump is not the only D.C. regular with a poorly paw this week. Sen. Mitch McConnell made his eagerly anticipated return to the Hill on Tuesday after a three-month absence.
Arriving in a wheelchair, the 84-year-old appeared frail, and on the backs of both hands were dark bruises that immediately drew comparisons to Trump.
His disappearing act was said to have been caused by him losing consciousness after taking a fall and led to rampant speculation and calls from critics for transparency.
“I’m really looking forward to being back on the Senate floor and seeing my colleagues,” said McConnell, who has served in the Senate since 1985.
“My recovery has been a long and often frustrating process, and the lingering effects of childhood polio haven’t made it any easier.”
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment.
