Topline
President Donald Trump spoke to world leaders Thursday with significant purple bruising to his left hand, similar to previous bruising on his right hand that his physician wrote off as being caused by the right-handed president’s “frequent handshaking.”
Key Facts
Trump’s purple bruise shown during his address at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, has drawn renewed concern about the president’s health, but White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said it was caused by Trump hitting “his hand on the corner of a signing table.”
The president’s left hand previously had minor bruising around Christmas, though the discoloration photographed Thursday appeared to be more significant and darker in color.
Most of the president’s publicly spotted bruising has been to his right hand, which his physician, Sean Barbabella, said 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.”
Trump has also blamed the bruising on handshakes, telling Time in December “it’s from shaking hands with thousands of people.”
That does not, however, appear to explain his recent bruising, as the president is known to shake hands with his right hand.
Trump Has Chronic Venous Insufficiency, Physician Says
Barbabella said in July the president was diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, which according to the National Institute of Health can cause skin discoloration, among other symptoms. The condition affects around 150,000 new patients per year and is caused when “veins in your leg are damaged,” making it more difficult for blood to flow back to your heart. It’s most common “in individuals who carry more weight than they ought to” and people “who spend a lot of time on their feet,” Cleveland Clinic cardiologist Scott Cameron told PBS. The condition is usually not serious with treatment.
What Has Trump Said About His Health?
Trump has maintained his health is “perfect,” telling the Wall Street Journal that taking higher doses of aspirin—along with handshaking—led to the bruising. In the interview, he admitted to using makeup to conceal some of the bruising. After being spotted with bandages on his right hand during a Cabinet meeting in December, Trump said, “I’ll let you know when something’s wrong.”
Key Background
Approaching 80 years old, Trump is set to become the oldest sitting president in U.S. history, and his mental and physical health have been under intense scrutiny, with a focus on his weight, history of heart disease and some physical signs of aging like the bruising and visibly thinning skin. His administration has also not shared Trump’s medical test results, further raising theories about the president’s health. Medical experts told CNN earlier this month his bruising is “likely a benign condition common in older people,” calling it nothing to be concerned about.
