Donald Trump’s bizarre hand makeup is so back. On Thursday, during his visit to the Federal Reserve headquarters, the Republican President was spotted with a large patch of thick makeup on the back of his right hand. Now, people are once again discussing Trump’s lifelong fear of handshakes.
Earlier this month, as well, photos of his hands covered in makeup surfaced. At that time, the Daily Beast reached out to the White House for an explanation. However, his staffers denied claims of any medical reasons. The White House claimed that bruises on his hands were caused by a workplace injury, which was nothing but persistent handshaking. Hence, he had to resort to a concealer to cover the bruises.
“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,” Trump’s Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt explained at that time.
Two days later, Leavitt revealed that the POTUS’s bruised hands and swollen ankles raised some concerns over his health. He ultimately had a “comprehensive examination” by the White House medical unit.
“In recent weeks, President Trump noted mild swelling in his lower legs. In keeping with routine medical care and out of an abundance of caution, this concern was thoroughly evaluated by the White House medical unit,” Karoline stated.
It was revealed that Trump was suffering from Chronic Venous Insufficiency or CVI, a condition that occurs from veins fail to manage blood flow normally. As his hand makeup has returned once again, it’s only normal to assume that the condition is also back.
This was Trump at the G7
👀 at his right hand
How it’s swollen compared to the left
Now look at the close up
He’s covering his hematoma with MAKEUP
trying to hide the bruising
THEY ARE 🤥 TO U GUY’s
The man is unwell @FarmLadyFarm .. weren’t u just saying that
Bingo, my friend pic.twitter.com/jCiafQW0wS— Jacquie_RN 🩺 🇨🇦 🌷🌸👒 (@jacquie_rn) June 18, 2025
However, this time, the White House has yet to confirm anything.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump was always afraid of handshakes as a germaphobe. In his 1997 book The Art of the Comeback, the now 79-year-old President said that he hated it so much that he even considered “taking out a series of newspaper ads encouraging the abolishment of the handshake.”
“One of the curses of American society is the simple act of shaking hands. And the more successful and famous one becomes, the worse this terrible custom seems to get. I happen to be a clean-hands freak,” he added.
“To me the only good thing about the act of shaking hands prior to eating is that I tend to eat less. For example, there is no way, after shaking someone’s hand, that I would eat bread. Even walking down the street, as people rush up to shake my hand, I often wonder to myself, why? Why risk catching a cold?”
Needless to say, it might have taken a toll on him learning to shake hands in his political career, especially when he finds the gesture “barbaric.”
