The contrast in color between Donald Trump‘s orange-toned face and his pale, bruised hand set off a wave of speculation about his health.
The president, 79, had the prominent dark marks on full display Thursday as he presided over a signing ceremony for his controversial new “peacekeeping” body at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
The bruising—typically most visible on Trump’s right hand—has been rigorously documented by the Daily Beast and is often obscured by a thick, frequently mismatched layer of concealer slathered over the president’s skin.
But on Thursday morning, the purplish marks appeared as prominent as ever—and on both hands—becoming the main takeaway for many observers of Trump’s lengthy ramble.
“Reporters? This is the man with the nuclear codes and he is not well in so many obvious respects,” political scientist Brendan Nyhan wrote on X above a photo of Trump’s hands.
Others zeroed in on the president’s seemingly yellowish complexion.
“Trump’s other hand now has a massive bruise….and his face is a very natural color today,” X influencer “Wu Tang Kids” wrote to their 289,000 followers.
Journalist Aaron Rupar added, “look at the difference in color between his face and his hand.”
Others questioned White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt’s frequent assertion that Trump’s bruising stems from aspirin use and because he “shakes hands on a daily basis [more] than any other President in history.”
“If, according to the White House press secretary, Trump has bruises on his right hand from excessive ‘handshakes,’ then what is he doing with his left hand?” one X user wrote.
Since February, the Daily Beast has reported on the recurring dark bruises on Trump’s right hand, along with other episodes that have prompted questions about his health and mental acuity.
On Thursday, Leavitt offered a different explanation for Trump’s marks. “At the Board of Peace event today in Davos, President Trump hit his hand on the corner of the signing table, causing it to bruise,” she told the Daily Beast.
In December, she stood by her handshake explanation while responding to a question from the Daily Beast at a press briefing. “The president is literally constantly shaking hands. The Oval Office is like Grand Central Terminal,” Leavitt said.
“He is meeting with more people than any of you even know about on a daily basis. He’s also on a daily aspirin regimen, which is something his physical examinations have said in the past as well can contribute to that bruising that you see.”
If Trump was concerned about his bruising, he didn’t show it Thursday as he delivered remarks touting his newly formed Board of Peace.
“This board has the chance to be one of the most consequential bodies ever created, and it’s been an enormous honor to serve as its chairman,” Trump said. “It’s running beautifully, started already, and every country, just about every country, wants to be a part of it,” the president claimed.
World leaders from roughly 20 countries have accepted invitations to join Trump’s Board of Peace, including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Vietnam, and Azerbaijan. Notably, several top NATO allies—including Canada and the United Kingdom—have declined to participate after Trump extended an invitation to Russian President Vladimir Putin, an accused war criminal who has spent nearly four years bombing Ukraine.
At one point during the event, the easily distracted 79-year-old referred to the participating nations as “friends of mine,” then abruptly turned to double-check something behind him, and stood silently on stage.
Trump will be the oldest serving president in U.S. history by the time his second term concludes in 2029.
The post Trump’s Uneven Complexion Fuels Health Speculation appeared first on The Daily Beast.
