President Donald Trump was seen on Friday with a thick layer of makeup covering his right hand, drawing fresh attention to ongoing concerns about the 79-year-old leader’s health.
The unusual appearance came during his visit to The People’s House exhibit near the White House, where the makeup stood out under the lights, poorly blended and heavily applied. This is not the first time Trump has used cosmetics to conceal bruising on his hand, which the White House has attributed to repeated handshakes.
“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,” Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement. “His commitment is unwavering and he proves that every single day.”
The defense echoed earlier explanations from the administration, which has said the bruises are the result of constant physical interaction with the public. Just the night before, Trump had been spotted in Washington, D.C., grabbing pizza with law enforcement officers while pressing his tough-on-crime agenda, as per reports from The Daily Beast.
Still, the administration has faced questions about transparency. While the White House confirmed last month that Trump has chronic venous insufficiency (CVI)—a condition common in older men where weakened veins hinder circulation—it has offered limited access to the president’s medical team.
“Recent photos of the president have shown minor bruising on the back of his hand,” Trump’s physician, Dr. Sean Barbabella, wrote in a July memo. The note, read aloud by Leavitt, explained the bruising as “minor soft tissue irritation from frequent handshaking and the use of aspirin, which is taken as part of a standard cardiovascular prevention regimen.”
Despite promising openness, the White House has not made Dr. Barbabella available for press questions and has declined to outline any treatment plan for the president’s swollen ankles or bruised hand. Asked again last week whether reporters could speak directly to Trump’s doctor, Leavitt said it was “certainly something we can look into” while insisting there is “nothing to hide.”
The president’s April physical declared him to be in “excellent cognitive and physical health,” citing his frequent golfing. But Friday’s public appearances, where Trump at times kept his right hand folded beneath his left in the Oval Office, suggested he was self-conscious about the makeup meant to disguise the bruising.
Even so, when he stood up to address reporters, the cosmetic covering was impossible to miss—once again sparking debate about how transparent the White House has truly been regarding Trump’s health.