President Donald Trump is facing fresh scrutiny after new photos of his right hand showed a clumsy patch of makeup smeared across his skin, a sight so odd it left many online asking if the images were even real.
On Friday, Aug. 22, Trump, 79, made a stop at The People’s House exhibit down the street from the White House, and photographers made a point to zoom in and capture several photos of the president’s right hand.
This isn’t the first time Trump has faced public scrutiny over his poorly applied hand makeup.
Just last month, Trump’s headstrong press secretary Karoline Leavitt brushed off growing concerns over his health, claiming the discoloration was nothing more than bruising from his “vigorous handshaking.”
Leavitt’s framing came directly from the president’s physician who provided an official White House memo released to the public in July. “This is 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,” Leavitt said as she read the memo to the press.
But those remarks haven’t aged well as the latest close-ups appear to show a poorly blended foundation job meant to hide something deeper, further fueling theories that won’t go away.
One post on Threads with two recent photos of Trump’s hand set off thousands of comments on social media. The caption simply read, “both of these photos of Trump’s hand were taken today.” Then the firestorm began.
One user wrote: “I’m not a nurse, but that looks like a blown vein poorly covered with liquid foundation.”
“So is he getting blood transfusions or intravenous fluids on the regular?,” inquired another.
Another joked, “Skipped the blending module again at beauty school.” And one more bluntly said, “This isn’t even trying to hide it. He wants us fixated on that.”
Others were simply aghast: “Is this fake?” one asked. Another joked: “That is NOT from shaking hands.”
And while all eyes are on Trump’s hand, some haven’t forgotten his other visible ailments. “Forget the orange makeup on his hand,” a Daily Beast op-ed begins. “The real tell on Donald Trump is below the knee,” and said Trump’s visibly swollen ankles are a “flashing neon sign of a body under pressure” that shouldn’t be swept under the rug.
Doctors have said Trump has chronic venous insufficiency, a circulatory problem that makes swelling and bruising more common, according to John Hopkins Medicine. The White House insists it’s nothing serious. But critics point out that every time former President Joe Biden cleared his throat, cable news ran endless health segments, while Trump’s seeming ailments get explained away as nothing to see here.
“If Biden walked out looking like this, Fox News would run it for a week straight,” one person wrote on Threads.
Trump’s health concerns are starting to show up in polls too. Data for Progress finds the share of Americans who believe Trump is too old to be president has jumped 10 points over the last year to 49 percent, with independents showing a 12-point rise. Just under half now say his age makes him unfit for office. More Americans now say they doubt Trump has the “mental and cognitive” ability to complete out this term through 2029.
For a president toying with breaking constitutional limits to secure a third term, the constant flood of poorly concealed hand makeup and a laundry list of gaffes and blunders is shifting the debate.
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