The White House is finding ever more conspicuous ways to avoid showing President Donald Trump’s cankles.
The 79-year-old president, who’s been photographed with bruising on both hands and swelling in both legs in recent days, met South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Monday.
The administration’s official X account posted a photo from the Oval Office meeting, with Trump and Lee standing shoulder to shoulder while smiling for the camera and giving a thumbs-up.
President Donald J. Trump and President of South Korea Lee Jae-myung @Jaemyung_Lee. 🇺🇸🤝🇰🇷 pic.twitter.com/sY1bzkOlrC
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) August 25, 2025
But the shot committed a glaring photography faux pas, slicing off both leaders’ ankles, conveniently leaving Trump’s cankles out of frame.
Another photo posted by the White House puts Lee’s healthy-looking ankles on full display, but Trump’s feet remain obscured behind the Oval Office coffee table and the Air Force One model on top of it.
“It’s an honor to be with President Lee of South Korea… We’re going to have some very serious discussions about different things, including trade.” – President Donald J. Trump 🇺🇸🇰🇷 pic.twitter.com/m9J45PjXJ6
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) August 25, 2025
As pool photos from the day show, however, the swelling in Trump’s legs has persisted.
One shot of the president seated shows his cankles appearing to bulge over the tops of his shoes, making them look uncomfortably tight.
The Daily Beast has sought comment from the White House.
Whether from having run out of concealer or going for a fresh look, the commander-in-chief did not slather the enduring bruise on the back of his right hand in makeup for the meeting on Monday, leaving the purple-gray discoloration in full view.
He did try his hardest to keep the months-old bruise out of the spotlight though, by covering it with his left hand or hiding it under the Oval Office desk.
Meanwhile, the new bruise on his left hand that was first spotted on Saturday seems to have faded since, as bruises typically do.
Trump was diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency (CVI) last month after noticing swelling in his lower legs. The condition, common in people over the age of 70, occurs when damaged veins slow blood flow back to the heart.
As for the bruise on his right hand, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt attributed it to the president, the oldest ever to be inaugurated, shaking hands “all day every day” when it first appeared half a year ago.
Trump’s physician Sean Barbabella later said that 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.”
Though forthcoming with the CVI diagnosis, the White House has remained evasive as questions about Trump’s physical and cognitive health have mounted.
During an executive order signing Monday, the president rambled about an imaginary governor named “Kristi Whitman,” perhaps conflating Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
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