For months now, Donald Trump‘s hands have continued to spark rumors surrounding his presumably declining health. We are specifically talking about the bruising that keeps showing up on the 79-year-old president’s left and right hands.
Sometimes they are covered with makeup, but at other times, they are just visible. So this week, Trump offered yet another explanation for it.
On January 22, 2026, Trump was photographed at the World Economic Forum in Davos with a noticeable bruise on his left hand. Social media started speculating about health scares, IV lines, and more.
Except this time, Trump addressed the rumors while speaking to CNN’s Samantha Waldenberg aboard Air Force One. He blamed the mark on a run-in with furniture during his Switzerland trip. He said that he had “clipped” his hand on a table and treated it with cream.
That explanation joined a growing list of previous ones, though.
Trump’s *left* hand — not the one that is usually disfigured — now has a large bruise and is discolored
These pictures are from today in Davos and are via Chip Somodevilla (Getty) and Fabrice Coffrini (AFP) pic.twitter.com/FRp4RdITSp
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 22, 2026
The president has also said he takes 325 milligrams of aspirin daily. And that kind of dosage, as has been reported multiple times before, is much higher than the 81 milligrams used for heart health.
“I would say, take aspirin if you like your heart, but don’t take aspirin if you don’t want to have a little bruising,” Trump said. And apparently, doctors have warned him that the medication makes bruising more likely. But he won’t be taking any chances.
Also, in a previous Wall Street Journal interview, Trump said the habit was partly superstitious. He said he wants “nice, thin blood” flowing through his heart and has stuck with this routine for around 25 years.
The White House has echoed Trump’s explanations. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the bruise came from Trump hitting his hand on the corner of a signing table during a Board of Peace event earlier that day in Davos.
Just that the photos taken during the conference and before the signing show no visible bruising. But somehow, later images show it clearly.
Leavitt has also previously attributed Trump’s recurring hand marks to relentless handshaking. According to her, Trump meets and greets more Americans daily than any president in history.
🚨BREAKING: Karoline Leavitt says the bandaids on Trump’s hands are hiding bruises from “shaking hands.”
How many presidents, how many Senators, Congresspeople, and business leaders shake hands every single day? Why don’t they look like THAT? pic.twitter.com/o2LcFZl0rp
— CALL TO ACTIVISM (@CalltoActivism) December 11, 2025
Over the past year, though, the 47th president of the United States has been spotted with makeup covering discoloration or bandages on the back of his hand. The Wall Street Journal reported that his skin has become so sensitive that even minor contact can result in bleeding. And Trump himself said that one time, a ring nicked his hand during an event. His health is “perfect,” though.
He also denied falling asleep at meetings, as he clarified that he had a CT scan rather than an MRI. His doctors have said the scan showed no abnormalities. Still, the bruises persist.
