As US President Donald Trump continues to be surrounded by rumoured health concerns – much like former President Joe Biden was during his term, a noticeable hand detail became the focus of this week’s debates. Photos showing a large mark on the 79-year-old MAGA leader’s hand have repeatedly been going viral on social media, sparking speculations that he may possibly be covering up IV wounds with makeup.

With supposed bruising on Trump’s hand constantly becoming an issue of public concern, the White House attempted to extinguish allegations targeting his cognitive abilities and whatnot. However, the general sentiment has quickly turned against the perceived official remarks that many believe are only being dealt out to sweep something serious under the rug. While the officials maintain the US president is in “excellent health,” social media has grown more accustomed to giving into comments like “Trump is not well.”

How the White House responded to claims about Trump’s bruised hand

The much-resurfaced claims were originally responded to back in July when WH press secretary Karoline Leavitt said, “I know that many in the media have been speculating about bruising on the President’s hand and also swelling in the President’s legs. So in the effort of transparency, the President wanted me to share a note from his physician with all of you today.”

ALSO READ

Also addressing the swelling in his lower legs at the time, she said that the president “underwent a comprehensive examination, including diagnostic vascular studies.” As per her public revelation, “bilateral lower extremity venous Doppler ultrasounds were performed and revealed chronic venous insufficiency, a benign and common condition, particularly in individuals over the age of 70.”

The most important bit of her address was that she remained focussed on dispelling the hot debate about Trump’s health, saying, no evidence of deep vein thrombosis or arterial disease was found. On top of that, an echocardiogram confirmed “normal cardiac structure and function,” and “no signs of heart failure, renal impairment or systemic illness.”

At the time, Leavitt attributed the “minor bruising on the back” of Trump’s hand as being “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.” Reiterating it as a “benign side effect of aspirin therapy,” Leavitt said that the Republican president was in “excellent health.”

‘Weird makeup’ on Trump’s hand? Internet speculates again

More and more pictures of the conspicuous sight consumed the Internet this week. A video from Oval Office even noticeably caught Trump particularly hiding the back of his right hand from cameras on the scene.

Some called what they saw a “patch of foundation” on the president’s hand. Others again satirically called on CNN’s Jake Tapper to dig into the case, especially considering he appeared to have earned his gotcha fame from shaming Joe Biden in his 2025 non-fiction book called “Original Sin: President Biden’s Decline, Its Cover-up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again.”

American political strategist Chris D Jackson also added to the onslaught online, saying, “This was Trump’s hand yesterday—IV wounds covered up with makeup. If this were Joe Biden, clowns like @JakeTapper would make it BREAKING NEWS. But with Trump? Silence. His physical and mental decline is obvious, and the media still looks the other way. Total failure.”

“I glanced at a bunch of news articles about the recurring bruise on the back of Trump’s right hand (which people have noticed since 2024) and they are oddly clustered around the 24th of the month,” another user wrote on X. “That suggests he’s getting an infusion every month.”

Someone else wondered, “How would the press have reacted if President Biden had been stumbling around with heavy makeup slathered on his hand?”

“I‘m clearly not a doctor but have seen a lot of videos speculating on President Trump‘s health and possible congestive heart failure,” wrote yet another alarmed user. “…watching the live press conference from the oval office, he keeps his hand under the desk but was then talking and I saw the major bruise on his hand. Reminded me of Queen Elizabeth right before she has passed away.”

ALSO READ

A TikTok video even saw a medical expert claiming to be a “home health physical therapist with a doctorate in (his) field.” He’s heard saying in the clip: “The president’s congestive heart failure is getting worse… I see congestive heart failure patients on a daily basis. The reason I know that he has congestive heart failure is because of the swelling in his feet and ankles.” He went on to claim that he knows Trump’s supposed condition is only getting worse because one could now call it out on camera.

“He lashed out on MSNBC for giving him hash about his ankles,” he says of Trump. User @epistemiccrisis on TikTok further highlighted that such speculations get to him, and one can see them in his open reactions to it all. “The only reason his health has been maintained at all is because he has the privilege of getting IV diuretics… That’s why his hands have been bruised and covered with makeup, badly, I might add,” the expert goes on to suggest.

Among other alarming statements, the TikToker lays out one final blow, predicting how long Trump may potentially be alive for. “I think he’s going to be around for 6 to 8 months, tops,” he added.