Donald Trump has been accused of “rotting in real time” after his hand was once again spotted covered in thick makeup, in what appeared to be yet another attempt to conceal a prominent bruise.
The 79-year-old president appeared before reporters at the construction site of his proposed White House ballroom on Tuesday. While boasting that the ballroom would serve as a “shield” for what the Secret Service and military are constructing below, cameras captured a detailed shot of Trump.
The image revealed a heavy coating of makeup concealing the president’s hand, which has displayed large, dark bruising in recent months. “Oof — Trump’s mangled hand as photographed today by @kentnish,” one X user posted alongside the picture snapped by an AFP photographer.
“Those bruises must be gnarly…he has like 5 layers of thick makeup on them,” one observer remarked before asking: “Does he ever wash his hands throughout the day to use the restroom? Wouldn’t he have to reapply each time or is he really that gross and doesn’t wash his hands like so many disgusting men…
“No amount of makeup can cover up that mess,” another commenter noted. “It’s not every day that you see a person rot in real time. It makes you wonder how long he has before he’s no longer able to function,” a third person wrote.
“His hand–it….it honestly reminds me of funerals that I’ve been to–looking in the casket and staring at the folded hands of a deceased loved one, God rest their soul,” someone else observed.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated back in July of last year that a persistent bruise on Trump’s right hand was the result of extensive handshaking combined with his daily aspirin routine. However, in January, a prominent bruise appeared on his left hand during his attendance at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump explained he had clipped it on a table. The president, who has acknowledged taking a daily aspirin dose considerably exceeding his physicians’ recommendations, also maintained that the medication causes him to bruise more readily.
Concerns over Trump’s bruised hands come alongside growing health worries after he appeared to doze off during several Cabinet meetings. The president has been spotted with his head bowed and eyes closed during a number of high-profile gatherings since his return to office.
Earlier this month, he faced accusations of hiding his “severe cognitive decline” after apparently nodding off during a live television broadcast. The president was seated at his Oval Office desk while Robert F Kennedy Jr. stood beside him delivering a speech – yet as the address wore on, Trump’s eyelids grew heavy and his head drooped towards his chest.
Trump showed no visible reaction to Kennedy’s remarks, even when his name was mentioned, remaining still with his eyes shut and head bowed.