A new bruise has appeared on President Donald Trump’s left hand, adding to the one he’s had on his right hand for months, amid mounting questions about his health.
The 79-year-old president hit the links with former Major League Baseball player Roger Clemens and his son Kacy at Trump National Golf Club in Virginia on Saturday. The fresh mark was spotted in a video Kacy posted to Instagram on Sunday titled “A Day on the Course with The President.”
At one point in the video, as the camera pans to Trump overlooking his course, the back of his left hand comes into view, showing a dark discoloration nearly identical in placement to the one on his right hand.
Videos and photos can sometimes be mirrored, but here it’s clearly his left hand, since the “TRUMP” logo on the back of Trump’s hat is correctly oriented.
When reached for comment, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt did not deny the existence of a new bruise.
“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. His commitment is unwavering and he proves that every single day,” Leavitt told the Daily Beast in a statement.
As has become usual, Trump’s other hand was coated in makeup, presumably to conceal bruising, during Saturday’s golf outing, which also included the club’s Director of Golf, John O’Leary.
According to a game scorecard shared by Roger, Trump finished fourth out of four.
Leavitt first attributed the discoloration to the president (who is right-handed) “shaking hands all day every day” back when the bruising was first spotted in February.
Later, Trump’s physician, Navy Captain Sean Barbabella, expanded on the explanation, saying that the bruising “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.”
Barbabella’s elaboration came the same week the White House announced that Trump had been diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency (CVI) after undergoing an examination due to having swollen legs. The condition, which is common in people over the age of 70, occurs when damaged veins slow blood flow back to the heart.
The commander-in-chief’s cankles have made frequent appearances since the diagnosis, most visibly at the recent Alaska summit, where his legs looked noticeably larger than Russian President Vladimir Putin’s.
Leavitt has previously said she would “look into” making a White House physician available to answer questions about the president’s health, though there’s been no follow-through so far.
Meanwhile, Trump—the oldest president ever to be inaugurated—has not addressed questions about his health himself. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office Friday, he attempted to cover up his right hand with some awkward hand gymnastics.
