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Michael Searles
Donald Trump’s right hand was the focus of the world’s attention when he formally launched his Board of Peace with a trademark flourish of the pen.
But attention swiftly turned to the US president’s left hand when cameras captured heavy bruising and discolouration as he stood alongside world leaders on stage at Davos.
The White House initially dismissed the apparent injury as a result of him shaking many hands – not typically performed with the left hand.
Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, at first told London’s Telegraph: “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.”
But Leavitt then changed tack and offered a new explanation – that the president knocked his hand at the signing ceremony.
She said: “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.”
Less than an hour later, Trump reappeared with heavy make-up applied to the hand, which also appeared swollen.
Trump has regularly been seen with bruising on his right hand, routinely dismissed by the White House as a product of his hand-shaking, during the first year of his second term as president.
But in recent weeks, bruising has also started appearing on his left hand.
Rumours about his health have been rife since the White House revealed last year he had been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) – a condition that causes blood to pool in the veins – after “mild swelling” was noticed in his lower leg.
The president has insisted he is in “perfect” health despite repeated questions and a rash of theories, fuelled by further sightings of swelling in his limbs, including his ankles.
He had a CT scan last year to “definitively rule out any cardiovascular issues”, his doctor said.
Professor Stephen Westaby, a former heart surgeon in Oxford, said CVI was not a condition to worry about in itself, and any associated swelling or bruising could appear worse because of Trump’s outings on the golf course and regular flights.
While he said he could not speculate on Trump’s health specifically, Westaby said the president “does a lot, including playing golf, so an element of trauma at any stage would be possible”.
“When you read about his situation, he takes a very high dose of aspirin so that could also make any minor bruising worse,” he said.
“There are reasons why anybody might have a swollen limb. And of course, if you fly all the way from the US to Europe, and you’re nearly 80, the cabin pressure and so on makes people’s ankles swell. It is what it is. I think he’s a very healthy guy for his age.”
Since his CVI diagnosis, Trump has revealed he takes more than the recommended daily dose of aspirin, which thins the blood to reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes, refuses to wear compression socks and finds exercise – other than golf – “boring”.
Shaking hands, as with golf, could also induce a “repetitive strain” injury, Westaby said.
“I think very specifically, in anyone who travels by air a lot, chronic venous insufficiency is very, very common. It puts pressure on the peripheral circulation so that you get what we call oedema [swelling caused by trapped fluid],” he added.
Westaby added that the venous system is “very, very plastic” and that temporary swelling “will improve over the course of days and weeks”, with other veins compensating.
“When you’re in his position, the biggest risks are the ones we saw last year, when people fire guns at you.”
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