NEED TO KNOW
- President Donald Trump appeared with a dark bruise on his left hand at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland on Jan. 22
- The president has frequently been photographed with a bruised hand over the last year, but it has previously recurred on his right hand and been explained by those close to him as the result of frequent handshaking and aspirin
- In response to the new bruise on his non-dominant hand, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told a reporter that he injured himself on the corner of a table
President Donald Trump’s hand bruises have been the topic of online speculation for months, and new fuel was added to the rumor mill during his appearances at the World Economic Forum this week.
The president was photographed with a large bruise on his left hand at the signing ceremony for his new “Board of Peace” on Jan. 22, a noticeable change, as the bruising has previously been seen on his right hand.
Multiple angles from the event, held in Davos, Switzerland, show the large, rounded bruise beneath Trump’s pointer and middle finger on his left hand.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty
Since last February, Trump, 79, has been photographed multiple times with a large bruise on his right hand. Sometimes, the photos showed a patch of makeup, with visible bruising underneath, but in others, the bruise was starkly visible.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt first addressed speculation by claiming, “President Trump has bruises on his hand because he’s constantly working and shaking hands all day every day.”
“President Trump is a man of the people,” she added at the time. “His commitment is unwavering, and he proves that every single day.”
Then, in July 2025, White House physician Sean Barbabella elaborated on the president’s bruising, writing that it 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 handshake explanation didn’t seem to apply to the bruise seen at the World Economic Forum, as Trump is right-handed and almost always seen shaking hands with his right.
Speaking with a CBS News reporter on Thursday, Leavitt offered new justification for Trump’s left hand blemish, saying, “At the Board of Peace event today in Davos, President Trump hit his hand in the corner of the signing table, causing it to bruise.”
Chip Somodevilla/Getty
Recently, Trump addressed his aspirin use in a revealing Jan. 1 profile with The Wall Street Journal titled, “As Signs of Aging Emerge, Trump Responds With Defiance.”
He told the publication that the bruises are the result of him taking a higher dose of aspirin than his doctors advised because he’s “superstitious.”
“They say aspirin is good for thinning out the blood, and I don’t want thick blood pouring through my heart,” Trump said. “I want nice, thin blood pouring through my heart. Does that make sense?”
The WSJ report also claimed that Trump’s closest advisers have noticed his skin growing thinner, citing one instance in which his now-attorney general, Pam Bondi, caused his hand to bleed at the 2024 Republican National Convention after giving him a high-five while she was wearing a ring.
“The ring hit the back of my hand, and, yes, there was a slight little cut,” Trump told the outlet. He explained that he has started applying makeup whenever he gets “whacked again by someone.”
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