President Donald Trump was captured on camera noticeably hiding his right hand heavily caked in makeup as he spoke to journalists from the Oval Office at the end of the week.
Trump, 79, had a full presidential plate on Friday: He visited National Guard troops, deployed in his military takeover of Washington D.C., stopped by the Kennedy Center and toured the immersive The People‘s House museum—all while wearing a tacky statement hat.
Yet it was during Trump’s museum stop when photographers noticed the president’s hand conspicuously smeared with makeup. In several photos taken during the stop, the president’s right hand can be seen with a slash of concealer several shades lighter than the surrounding red, blotchy skin.
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Trump appeared to take notice of the makeup fail when he returned to the Oval Office as he opted instead to cover his right hand as much as he could with his left hand. Speaking to the press about the cosmetic changes he has made to the Oval Office, the attempted coverup made for some awkward hand gymnastics on camera.
“You see the way this is looking,” Trump said, pointing to gilded trim around the Oval Office while noticeably turning his right hand so cameras could only see his palm. “There’s nothing like gold, and there is nothing like solid gold, but this beautiful office needed it,” he added, before covering his right hand again with his left.
A closeup photograph taken of his right hand during the moment revealed that it still appeared to be stained with concealer.
The White House revealed last month that Trump had been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) after photos of his bruised right hand and cankles sparked health concerns at the 2025 FIFA World Cup on July 13.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, CVI causes mild symptoms such as swollen legs as a result of damaged leg veins slowing blood flow back to heart. The condition, usually affecting people over 50, rarely will “lead to serious complications” when treated with lifestyle changes such as exercise and weight management. Damaged vein walls can also make a person more susceptible to bruising, according to the the Center for Advanced Cardiac and Vascular Interventions.
Experts have also noted bruising among the elderly is common because as people age, the skin and blood vessels become more fragile.
However, Trump’s physician said his hand bruise was from “frequent handshaking” and not related to CVI.
“Recent photos of the president have shown minor bruising on the back of his hand,” the president’s physician,Sean Barbabella, wrote in a July memo, which Karoline Leavitt read to the press pool. “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.”
The White House again on Friday attributed his hand bruising to his active schedule greeting Americans.
“President Trump is a man of the people and he meets more Americans and shakes their hands on a daily basis than any other President in history,” said Press Secretary Leavitt in a statement Friday.
“His commitment is unwavering and he proves that every single day,” she added.
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for clarification on how the president is being treated for CVI and whether the bruising on his hand is related to IV treatments or other related therapies for his health.
