Fresh questions about President Donald Trump’s health again came into attention after visible bruising on his left hand appeared during a high-profile signing ceremony in Davos.
This led to criticism over the lack of transparency about the MAGA chief's health from the White House.
British journalist Mehdi Hasan posted on X, saying former President Joe Biden's health coverage was extensive, but it is not the same for Trump: “Are you f*ing kidding me? We had two years nonstop coverage of Biden’s age and health and we’re not supposed to know what the fk that is on his hand? (Also, still no medical records from the shooting and what happened to his ear.)”
Images and video from the Board of Peace signing event in Switzerland showed bruising on Trump’s left hand, which appeared around ten minutes into the ceremony as he sat signing documents.
The White House said the bruising was accidental. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump hit his hand on the corner of the signing table during the event. “At the Board of Peace event today in Davos, President Trump hit his hand on the corner of the signing table, causing it to bruise,” she said.
A White House official added that Trump is prone to bruising because he takes a daily aspirin. The official also shared photos of Trump taken before and after the event, saying: “Pictures from yesterday and this morning clearly show no bruising.”
Trump has previously acknowledged taking a higher daily dose of aspirin than doctors typically advise. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, he said: “Aspirin is good for thinning out the blood.”
“They say aspirin is good for thinning out the blood, and I don't want thick blood pouring through my heart,” he added.
The president also said: “I want nice, thin blood pouring through my heart. Does that make sense?”
His physician, Dr Sean Barbabella, confirmed Trump takes 325 milligrams of aspirin daily. Medical guidance from the Mayo Clinic says an average dose ranges from 75 to 100 milligrams.
Trump has long shown bruising on his hands, including his right hand, right after his return to the White House. He has previously attempted to cover it with makeup or bandages and has been seen shielding it from cameras.
Trump has yet to release full medical records related to a past shooting incident, which involved a bullet missing his ear in an attempted assassination. Health concerns were also raised last year after he revealed he had undergone a sudden MRI scan.
In December, the White House released a memo stating that advanced imaging was conducted as a preventive measure. “President Trump's cardiovascular imaging is perfectly normal,” Barbabella said that there were no signs of arterial narrowing, inflammation, or clotting.
Joe Biden's health has also been disparaged by the MAGA base, who say that the former president was too "crooked" to serve as the US president. Trump himself has called Biden "sleepy Joe" many times to the press.
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