Efforts by President Trump to keep his bruised and makeup-covered hand under wraps were undone Tuesday when the White House posted photos putting it on full display.
Amid a flurry of posts trumpeting Trump’s supposed achievements, the White House’s official X account posted a collage of the 79-year-old president departing for his state visit to the U.K..
One image clearly shows brown-grey makeup applied across the back of the hand but stopping short of his knuckles and fingers, leaving them appearing distinctly reddish. Trump, the oldest person ever inaugurated as president, has been nursing a large bruise on his hand for months.
Another photo captured Trump raising his right fist while boarding Marine One, the makeup clearly visible alongside prominent veins running up the hand.
The White House insists that the bruise Trump tries so hard to conceal arises from “minor soft issue irritation” caused by “frequent handshaking and the use of aspirin, which is taken as part of a standard cardiovascular prevention regime.”
However, some have speculated that the bruise could come from receiving IV fluids, which are commonly injected into veins on the back of the hand.
The Daily Beast has reached out to the White House for comment.
The bruise is just one piece of a broader mosaic of physical issues, as well as mental gaffes, fueling speculation about the president’s health.
On the podcast Shrinking Trump, psychologist John Gartner questioned the White House’s explanation for the hand bruise, noting that bruises have been sighted on both hands.
“They’re obviously hiding the more serious problem,” Gartner said. “He’s probably getting some kind of IV fluids.”
Gartner, along with his co-host and fellow psychologist Harry Segal, also warned that the commander-in-chief is showing both physical and linguistic symptoms of what they call “early dementia.”
They pointed to Trump’s recent appearance at the U.S. Open final, where photos showed him slouched with his eyes closed. Gartner cited involuntarily falling asleep at inappropriate times as an early sign of dementia, saying, “I just wanna point out, this isn’t normal.”
Segal suggested that Trump’s droopy face at a 9/11 memorial event last week, however, is “not just someone being tired.” Images of Trump’s face sagging on the right side has set off a wave of speculation that he may have suffered a stroke.
🇺🇸➡️🇬🇧@POTUS departs the White House en route to London. pic.twitter.com/JRmxwKarwj
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) September 16, 2025
When reached for comment on the psychologists’ claims, the White House shared a statement from MAGA loyalist and disgraced doctor Rep. Ronny Jackson, which reads:
“As President Trump’s former personal physician, former Physician to the President, and White House physician for 14 years across three administrations, I can tell you unequivocally: President Donald J. Trump is the healthiest president this nation has ever seen. I continue to consult with his current physician and medical team at the White House and still spend significant time with the President. He is mentally and physically sharper than ever before.”
Trump is also frequently photographed with swollen ankles. The White House admitted in July he had been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, a condition where blood pools in the legs due to malfunctioning valves.
Trump often tries to hide his right hand under tables and under his other hand. But the makeup was again visible in a photo he posted on Truth Social after landing in London on Tuesday. Apparently already homesick, the president wrote, “No place like the White House!”
The post White House Puts Trump’s Makeup-Covered Hand on Full Display appeared first on The Daily Beast.
