The bruise on Donald Trump’s right hand was first spotted when he briefly left the campaign trail in October, donned a tuxedo, and spoke at the annual Al Smith Dinner in Manhattan.
While he cracked jokes about New York’s elite, photographs of his right hand show that it appeared to be bruised, perhaps concealed by a coating of makeup.
The same bruise was captured at a different angle as he gesticulated to House Speaker Mike Johnson.
Again, makeup appeared to be used to cover up the bruise.
Later that month at a Fox News town hall, the bruise was covered again by makeup closely matched to Trump’s skin tone.
Eagle-eyed viewers first noticed his bruise during his Manhattan court battle against Stormy Daniels last spring.
It is now back on display at the start of his second term in the White House.
And the White House has finally provided an explanation to DailyMail.com about the reason for the bruising.
They say it all comes down to a key, public-facing part of his job.
A White House official, when asked about the incident by DailyMail.com, said the bruising comes from Trump shaking hundreds of hands of people on the campaign trail and with his current duties.
Those repeated interactions can take a toll.
The official said Trump greets as many people as possible. That explains why it was appeared in October, during the height of Trump’s campaign to retake the White House.
Early this month, snappers got a good luck because Trump decided to hold up one of the many executive orders he signed in his first days on the job.
Once again, it was the same right hand Trump used to ink those executive orders, greet lawmakers, or hit a customized red button on his desk to order a Diet Coke.
It was very pronounced on February 24th, when Trump would hold three tense handshake engagements with French President Emmanuel Macron.
This time, the makeup, if it was that, did not appear to closely match Trump’s pinkish, slightly tanned skin. The foundation was a darker brown than Trump, who had every reason to glow after getting in several rounds of golf over the long weekend.
It is most obvious in an image put on the wire by Getty images Monday afternoon in the Oval Office. That means the makeup had already been applied before Trump’s touchy meeting with Macron where vied for dominance.
In the absence of clear information, speculation has flared on the Internet.
Some have alleged that it looks like a bruise left from an IV procedure. Others asked if Trump, who became the oldest president to take the oath in January might be getting ‘dehydrated and given fluids’ or even struggling from a vitamin deficiency, without providing evidence.
For Trump watchers, or anyone curious or concerned about the president, Trump’s media heavy public stance will give plenty of opportunities to evaluate his progress.
He holds his first cabinet meeting Wednesday, and hosts the UK’s PM Keir Starmer on Thursday.
Trump’s predecessor Joe Biden, had his own mystery bruise in the days before he left office.
It was visible as Biden, 82, marked record confirmation of federal judges during his tenure (the judiciary is the only branch that has slowed some of Trump’s executive orders).
It could also be seen as Biden awarded a Medal of Freedom to Hillary Clinton. The Biden White House never provided an explanation.