Donald Trump, 78, Spotted with Large Mystery Bruise on His Hand During High-Profile Meeting. Here's What It Could Mean

Mar. 15, 2025

President Donald Trump seen with a bruised hand in the White House on Feb. 24, 2025.Photo:Chip Somodevilla/Getty

Chip Somodevilla/Getty

PresidentDonald Trumpwas spotted with a large, mysterious bruise on his hand in recent days.

In press photos from his Feb. 24 meeting with French PresidentEmmanuel Macron, Trump was seen with a dark bruise covering a large section of the back of his right hand. It appears that makeup was used to try and cover the bruise for the photos.

When asked about the bruise, White House press secretaryKaroline Leavittsaid, “President Trump has bruises on his hand because he’s constantly working andshaking handsall day every day.”

“President Trump is a man of the people,” she added. “His commitment is unwavering, and he proves that every single day.”

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters outside the White House on Feb. 22, 2025.Tierney L. Cross/Getty

Tierney L. Cross/Getty

When Trump was sworn into office for his second presidential term on Jan. 20, he became the oldest president inaugurated, at 78 years and 7 months. His predecessor,Joe Biden, was the oldest president to serve, leaving office at 82 years and 61 days old.

According toMayo Clinic, bruising is more common in older people, as the skin thins over time. Aging can also cause a decrease in the body’s fatty protective layer, leaving small blood vessels, known as capillaries, more vulnerable to breaking. When they do, blood leaks out of the vessels and becomes visible under the skin as a bruise.

Another possible cause of a large bruise is a blown vein. This happens when a blood vessel is damaged due to a needle insertion.Cleveland Clinicnotes that this can occur when blood is drawn or an IV is inserted to give a patient medications or fluids.

In the fall of 2020, Trump was photographed with bandages on the back of his right hand, leading tosome speculationabout the possibility that he was receiving intravenous fluids. The photos came shortly after the then-president and his wife,Melania Trump, had beendiagnosed with COVID-19.

President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump.ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP via Getty

ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP via Getty

The bruise is one of many recent moments that have put Trump at the center of social media conversation.

Over the past several days, the president has announcedmajor changes to the White House press poolthat were blasted as attempts to weaken the free press,declared himself “the king”with a fakeTimemagazine cover, suggested that he wouldturn the Gaza Strip into a Trump-branded beachfront property, andseized controlof the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to have direct control over its programming.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer.

After firing 18 Democratic appointees from the Kennedy Center’s board and ordering new appointees to elect him chair, Trump declared the decision “something a lot of people wanted.”

“I think we’re going to make it hot,” he added of the Kennedy Center, which became the first federally financed structure dedicated to the performing arts when it opened in 1971. “And we made the presidency hot, so this should be easy.”

source: people.com