Why Is Trump Putting Makeup on His Very Normal Hand Bruise?

Trump sports another weird patch of hand makeup on July 16. Photo: Aaron Schwartz/Bloomberg/Getty Images

While Donald Trump was going about his business on Tuesday, attempting to shut down the “Jeffrey Epstein Hoax” he perpetuated, he inadvertently revived an old conspiracy about himself. A C-SPAN cameraman zoomed in on the president’s hand while he was speaking with reporters before heading to Pittsburg on Tuesday, revealing a weird patch of poorly matched makeup caked on the back of his right hand.

Here’s the clip from the C-SPAN video:

Trump had a large bruise on his hand in the same spot back in February, and according to The New Republic. it was spotted again in April and June. But when the Daily Beast asked White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt if there’s a medical reason for the fresh mark, she insisted, once again, that it’s a normal — nay, historic and admirable — handshaking injury.

“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,” she said.

Leavitt provided the same explanation to several outlets back in February. Trump used it too when a Time interviewer asked about his hand bruise in December, saying, “It’s from shaking hands with thousands of people.”

This is, to be sure, a much cooler explanation than “the president is a 79-year-old man, and sometimes old people get random bruises, scabs, and swollen ankles.” And despite what you may read on social media, these injuries are not necessarily proof that Trump is simultaneously suffering from syphilis, congestive heart failure, and a variety of other likely fatal ailments.

But the official explanation is still weird! And that’s even more true now that Trump is experimenting with concealer like a 13-year-old after her first visit to Sephora. The hand makeup was clearly visible, and still poorly blended, in photos and video of Trump meeting with the crown prince of Bahrain on Wednesday:

Photo: Anadolu via Getty Images

When Trump miraculously survived an assassination attempt with only a scratch to his ear, people at the Republican National Convention wore bandages to show their support. And just last month, New York Post columnist Miranda Devine pointed to Trump’s recurring hand bruise as proof of his legendary “hospitality”:

He will quite literally offer you the food off his plate. He will endure constant bruises on the back of his hands from well-wishers showing their gratitude with vigorous handshakes that he reciprocates warmly, even though he’s a renowned (maybe reformed) germaphobe.

I’m well aware of Trump’s body-image issues. And it is awkward for him to show any physical weakness after successfully wielding his perceived masculine virility against two presidential opponents. But if the hand bruise is just proof of Trump’s devotion to the people, why not show it off? What’s with the (literal and figurative) cover-up?