Wild rumours have been swirling online around the severity of Donald Trump’s health issues after he was spotted with fresh bruising on his hand – having previously been seen dragging his leg and with swollen ankles.
Armchair experts have taken to social media to post theories on what they believe is going on behind the scenes with the the US President’s health – despite the White House attempting to clear up the rumours earlier this month.
Officials revealed on August 7 that Trump has been diagnosed with ‘chronic venous insufficiency,’ with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt adding Trump´s hand bruising is ‘consistent’ with irritation from his ‘frequent handshaking and the use of aspirin.’
But that has not stopped an avalanche of speculation after Trump, 79, was seen on Monday with a sizeable bruise on his hand during his meeting in the Oval Office with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung.
He was similarly bruised on a golf outing on Sunday, as well as last Friday, when many noticed the president’s hand was covered with a noticeable splotch of makeup that did not match his skin tone.
Theories as to what this meant soon appeared on X with users speculating that he has ‘skin cancer’ with some going further and suggesting he has ‘only months left to live’.
‘My nowhere-near-qualified opinion is that Donald Trump has cancer that hasn’t been diagnosed yet or wasn’t ready to be announced yet,’ one user wrote.
‘Donald Trump’s cancer is so accelerated that he can’t hide the sores and bruising. My sources are saying six months or less,’ added another, offering no evidence for their claim.
One commenter said: ‘Weird how the bruise on Trump’s hand is taking longer to heal than the ear that was hit by a bullet’ while another suggested ‘there is something seriously wrong and the media should be demanding answers.’
Another wrote: ‘Trump desperately tried to keep his hand covered at the press conference. There is something seriously wrong and the media should be demanding answers.’
One more viewer speculated the marks resembled an IV insertion, writing: ‘It’s not a golf injury, it’s oddly shaped and the skin appears broken.’
Some insisted the bruises match ‘patients that have received IV sticks,’ accusing officials of a cover-up as ‘he tried so hard to hide the obvious and failed.’
Bruises on the president’s hands, as well as swollen ankles, have caused concern and curiosity from the public for the entirety of Trump’s second term.
Some suggested the marks signal a deeper health problem, with one social media user writing: ‘This bruise has been on his hand for months, combined with severely swollen ankles, indicates a very serious condition.’
He was seen with swollen ankles last month which sparked rumours online that he was suffering with ‘heart failure’ or ‘dysfunction in blood pressure regulation’.
But Leavitt squashed the theories once more, revealing the president was evaluated by the White House medical unit.
She said he underwent a ‘comprehensive examination’ which included ‘diagnostic vascular studies.’
‘Bilateral, lower extremity ultrasounds were performed and revealed chronic venous insufficiency,’ Leavitt stated.
She said it’s a ‘common condition’ in individuals over the age of 70 and there was ‘no evidence’ of deep vein thrombosis or arterial disease.
‘The president remains in excellent health,’ Leavitt said overall.
In March, footage went viral of the president dragging his right leg on a golf course.
Speculation swirled once more, as Arun Gray, a UK-based sports scientist and injury rehabilitation specialist, told DailyMail.com that Trump appeared to be exhibiting a ‘knock knee’, a condition in which both knees bend inward.
And just a day after the leg drama, a poorly photoshopped version of a picture of Trump’s shoe caused an uproar on X, with users poking fun at president.
Some joked that Trump underwent a foot or lower leg amputation, while others suggested he was wearing shoes that are ‘a few sizes too large’ in a bid to make his ‘feet look proportional’ to his body.
Social media users compared his foot to a ‘clown shoe’ or ‘crumpled up garbage bags’, with one branding them his ‘Louibnotoes’.
Despite the image being obviously photoshopped, X users were having a field day sharing the shoe picture and their insane theories along with it.
‘Spotted during Friday’s infamous meeting with Zelensky/bullying session: Trump’s shoe, with lift, is also a few sizes too large,’ one tweeted. ‘This is done to make his feet look proportional with his weight/height.’
One user suggested Trump was wearing a ‘prosthetic’. They wrote: ‘I believe that Trump has his right foot/lower leg amputated during those two weeks where he disappeared during his campaign.
‘Look at this shoe from the Zelensky meeting. That ain’t no normal foot.’
His shoes look like Darth Vader,’ one said, while another jokingly asked: ‘Did a cartoon car run over his foot?! I mean that thing looks mangled.’
Medical doctors, however, suggested Trump’s leg may have been indicative of a more serious neuromuscular degenerative issue, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or multiple sclerosis.
But eagle-eyed viewers also thought they spotted a leg brace amid the limping and leg-dragging speculation.
One wrote: ‘Again, Donald Trump not only has fluid in his ankles, which cannot be dismissed away forever, he also wears leg braces on both legs, as you can see below’.
Another said: ‘He’s also wearing below the knee leg braces And that’s NOT for venous insufficiency That’s for foot drop From advancing dementia The man is UNWELL why are docs lying for him’.
Despite all of the rumours circulating online regarding the health of the US leader,
when reached by The Daily Mail for further comment on the recent hand bruising, the White House re-directed us to statements made by President Trump’s doctor, Dr. Sean Barbabella, and former doctor and now Congressman Dr. Ronny Jackson.
‘Recent photos of the President have shown minor bruising on the back of his hand,’ Dr. Barbabella explained.
‘This is consistent with minor soft tissue irritation from frequent handshaking and the use of aspirin, which is taken as part of a standard cardiovascular prevention regimen.’
‘As President Trump’s former personal physician, former Physician to the President, and White House physician for 14 years across three administrations, I can tell you unequivocally: President Donald J. Trump is the healthiest president this nation has ever seen,’ added Jackson.
Jackson, who also was the physician to Barack Obama and worked in the White House Medical Unit under George W. Bush.
‘I continue to consult with his current physician and medical team at the White House and still spend significant time with the President. He is mentally and physically sharper than ever before,’ he added.
Chronic venous insufficiency occurs when leg vein valves fail, causing blood to pool and pressure to build, often leading to discomfort if untreated, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
While it is common for people of Trump’s age, it commonly affects those who stand or sit for long periods, older adults, people who are overweight, or those with multiple pregnancies.
Trump was spotted with makeup on his hands during his trip to Scotland last month.
The president has appeared with similar bumps and bruises on his hand almost monthly since taking office in January. His hands appeared to have makeup covering one of these bruises last month as well.
Trump proclaimed he ‘did well’ in his April physical exam at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where he underwent extensive testing, including a cognitive assessment.
The exam, conducted by Trump’s new physician Dr Sean Barbabella, lasted nearly five hours.
Trump has a history of optimistic health reports, including a purported perfect score on a cognitive test in 2018.
Still, questions linger about his weight (244 pounds at his last physical) and occasional visible bruises on his hand, which aides have repeatedly attributed to vigorous handshaking.