Donald Trump has publicly humiliated his spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt by contradicting her repeated reassurances and excuses about his health woes.
Since Trump, 79, returned to office last January, speculation has raged over bruising on his hands and about his cognitive ability, particularly after he underwent a mystery scan in the fall—with the Daily Beast leading the way on reporting the president’s various medical issues, including his swollen cankles.
Leavitt, 28, has repeatedly claimed the reason for the discolouration on the back of his right hand—which the president has covered up with plasters, bandages, and thick make-up—is that as “a man of the people,” Trump “meets more Americans and shakes their hands on a daily basis than any other president in history.”
The White House press secretary has given that reason in multiple media briefings, including when questioned on the matter earlier this month by the Beast’s political correspondent Farrah Tomazin.
Days after the bruising appeared to spread to Trump’s left hand—which he does not use to greet people—the president on Thursday gave a revelatory interview about his health to The Wall Street Journal.
Trump offered a different reason for the bruising; overuse of aspirin and his thinning skin.
He told the Journal that he takes 325 milligrams of aspirin a day—four times the 81-milligram “low dose” commonly used in daily therapy, per the Mayo Clinic—despite conceding his doctors have urged him to take less.
This higher-than-recommended aspirin use, Trump said, has become a central factor in the bruising that’s been spotted on his hands. But he told the outlet he refuses to reduce the dose because he’s been on the same routine for decades, and is “a little superstitious.”
Trump also said he wears makeup because he has soft skin, and it bruises when it gets “whacked.”
Discussing an episode in which Attorney General Pam Bondi, 60, nicked him during a high-five, he told the Journal: “The ring hit the back of my hand, and, yes, there was a slight little cut.”
He added that he puts makeup on his hands after he gets “whacked again by someone,” saying: “I have makeup that’s, you know, easy to put on, takes about 10 seconds.”
Trump also gave more details about his October scan, further embarrassing Leavitt, who has fended off repeated inquiries about it from the White House podium.
She at first repeatedly answered questions without naming the test and leaning on scripted assurances about his condition. On October 23, she declined to specify what test he received. On November 4, pressed on why Trump had a week earlier described it as an MRI, she said she would “check back,” while insisting he was in “optimal physical health” and framing the Walter Reed visit as a routine follow-up.
When asked again on November 12, Leavitt leaned on the language of the doctor’s memo, reiterating that Trump received “advanced imaging” as part of a routine exam and that physicians considered him in “exceptional” condition, without explaining why the imaging was ordered.
Leavitt’s position remained the same until December 1, when Trump’s physician, Navy Capt. Sean Barbabella, released a memo describing cardiovascular imaging. Leavitt told reporters the screening was normal and positioned the disclosure as transparency.
Even then, the White House’s preferred shorthand remained “advanced imaging,” rather than a clear, consistent label for what Trump had undergone.
In the Journal interview, Trump said he’d been telling people it was an MRI, but then corrected it: “It wasn’t an MRI… It was less than that. It was a scan.” He complained that getting the test had handed critics “ammunition” because it fueled questions about whether something was wrong.
The Journal reported that Trump and Barbabella ultimately characterized the procedure as a CT scan performed to rule out cardiovascular issues, with no abnormalities found.
Leavitt is quoted in the Journal saying the White House had “often referred to the procedure as ‘advanced imaging,’” while not addressing why Trump didn’t correct the MRI/CT description sooner.
In the Journal article, Trump also discussed his ‘cankles’ and why he apparently cannot stay awake during public meetings.
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House and Leavitt for comment.
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