President Donald Trump’s swollen hand was yet again slathered in a fresh coating of makeup on Saturday as he listened to his top officials lavish praise on him.
Trump, 79, stepped out with his right hand covered in the usual mismatched concealer for the “Shield of the Americas” Summit at Trump’s golf club in Doral, Florida. The presidents of a dozen Latin American countries convened to commit to cooperation with the U.S. in targeting drug cartels.
The guest list included Argentinian President Javier Milei, El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, and Chilean President-elect Jose Antonio Kast. On the U.S. side, Trump was joined by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who cracked jokes and heaped praise on the president as he stood behind them.
“I believe he will go down as one of the most historic figures in American history and certainly of the last hundred years because of what he has been able to do and is doing right now with the western hemisphere,” Rubio, 54, said as he turned toward Trump. “Thank you for your bold leadership. It’s an honor to serve in your administration.”
After Rubio’s remarks, Trump asked the audience, “Is he better in Spanish or in English? I think he’s better in Spanish. I mean, it’s great.”
Hegseth, not to be outdone, attempted to crack a joke when it was his turn to take the podium.
“Mr. President, I only speak American,” he said, pausing for laughter as the crowd faintly chuckled.
The summit, held after Trump announced on Thursdaythat he was firing Kristi Noem as Homeland Security secretary and putting her in charge of the Shield of the Americas initiative, featured a series of bizarre moments.
In one instance, Trump told the Latin leaders, “I’m not learning your damn language.” While several nations attending the event have Spanish as the official language, both Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago have English as their official language.
“I don’t have time,” he said. “I was okay with languages, but I’m not gonna spend time learning your language. That much I won’t do—just give me a good interpreter.”
Trump also engaged in an awkward handshake tug-of-war with Paraguayan President Santiago Peña. At Trump’s inaugural “Board of Peace” meeting last month, Trump said that Peña, 47, was “young and handsome.”
“It doesn’t mean we have to like you. I don’t like young, handsome men. Women—I like. Men, I don’t have any interest,” the president clarified.
Trump has long nursed large bruises on his hands, which have occasionally made makeup-free appearances. The bruises, coupled with his swollen ankles, mental flubs, and public displays of drowsiness, have generated persistent speculations about the state of his health as the oldest person to be inaugurated U.S. president.
The White House has consistently maintained that the president is in “excellent health,” attributing the bruises to frequent handshaking and Trump’s high-dosage aspirin regimen.
“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. His commitment is unwavering and he proves that every single day,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told the Daily Beast on Saturday, reusing a statement she has deployed regularly since last year.
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