The White House said Thursday the high volume of handshakes by President Donald Trump explains the adhesive bandages he has worn on the back of his right hand in recent days.
His spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt reiterated a response she gave months ago after the 79-year-old president was seen with a bruise on his right hand covered by a thick layer of makeup.
“As for the bandages on the hand, we’ve also given you an explanation for that,” Leavitt told reporters.
“In the past, the president is literally constantly shaking hands,” she said.
“He’s also on a daily aspirin regimen, which is something his physical examinations has said in the past as well, which can contribute to the bruise that you see,” she added.
As the oldest president ever elected in the United States, Trump has fiercely defended his personal health, contrasting that with his predecessor Joe Biden, whom Trump claims was losing his faculties to the point of being unable to govern by the end of his term.
Trump posted a long message defending his health on his Truth Social platform on Tuesday night, calling investigations by news organizations into his physical fitness as equivalent to “sedition, maybe even treason.”
In October, Trump underwent a medical examination, including an MRI scan, and his doctor reported the president was in excellent health.
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© Agence France-Presse
