Last year, questions regarding president Donald Trump’s physical health started swirling after photographs showed a large, greenish bruise appearing on his right hand.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt offered an eyebrow-raising explanation, telling reporters at the time that the bruises were the result of him “constantly working and shaking hands all day every day.”
But now onlookers have spotted a similar bruise on his left hand. In other words, Trump has either been using his left hand to shake the hands of world leaders — or Leavitt’s explanation was one more example of the Trump administration’s dismal relationship with the truth.
One thing’s for sure: the mysterious injury is looking grisly. Photos of Trump at this year’s World Economic Forum in Switzerland show an even gnarlier darkish bruise on his left hand.
Experts have suggested that the bruising is the result of blood being drawn via an intravenous needle. Needles can puncture the walls of veins, causing blood to leak into surrounding tissues.
That explanation dovetails with other details the public has learned about Trump’s medical situation. After the 79-year-old was spotted with significant swelling in his legs, the White House announced in July that Trump had been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, a common condition among older people that causes blood to pool in the extremities.
George Washington University professor Jonathan Reiner told CNN last month that he has seen similar bruising in patients who take strong blood-thinner medications, including ones that are more potent than aspirin, a drug Trump is known to be fond of.
Any attempts to gain clarity on the situation have been met by hostility, suggesting it’s a highly sensitive topic among Trump administration officials.
“Any so-called medical professionals engaging in armchair diagnosis or false speculation for political purposes are clearly breaking the Hippocratic Oath they’ve sworn to, and they should get their head examined,” fumed White House communications director Steven Cheung in a statement to CNN.
Yet Trump’s inability to form coherent sentences, his garbling of words, and recent shuffling of his feet have once again raised questions over the president’s health.
Last week, Washington State University professor of medicine Bruce Davidson argued during a podcast appearance that Trump appears to have suffered a stroke that’s impacting his ability to move.
Beyond questions surrounding Trump’s physical health, experts have long speculated about his cognitive health as well. Former White House attorney Ty Cobb speculated this week that there has been a “significant decline” in his mental faculties.
“He’s always been driven by narcissism,” he told MS Now on Wednesday. “But I think the dementia and the cognitive decline are, you know, palpable, as do many experts, including many physicians.”
More on Trump’s health: Doctor Says Trump Appears to Be Showing Signs of a Stroke
The post Trump’s Other Hand Is Also Now Showing a Grisly Mark appeared first on Futurism.
