The White House has blamed Trump’s bruised hands on handshaking and an aspirin regimen.
Key Facts
The bruising that covered the majority of the back of Trump’s right hand was visible during an Oval Office executive-order signing Monday morning and later in the day during a meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung.
Over the weekend, Trump was photographed with a smaller bruise on his left hand, days after he was seen Friday with a thick layer of makeup on the back of his right hand while visiting the People’s House museum in Washington.
Trump has been spotted with bruising on his right hand on several occasions since at least August of last year, according to NBC News, including in November and February during French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to the White House.
The White House initially blamed the bruising on hand shaking, echoing Trump, who gave Time the same reason for the apparent injury during an interview in December, telling the magazine “it’s from shaking hands with thousands of people.”
Elaborating on the bruising in July, the White House released a letter from the president’s physician, Sean Barbabella that said the bruising “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.
