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CNN anchor Jake Tapper questioned the White House explanation for bandages seen on President Donald Trump’s hands, suggesting undisclosed health issues during a segment of The Lead on Thursday. Health questions surrounding Trump have intensified after photos showed bruising on his hands, swelling in his ankles, and limited public details about a recent MRI.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters this week that the bandages were the result of frequent handshaking and Trump’s daily aspirin regimen, Mediaite reported.
“The President is literally constantly shaking hands,” Leavitt said. “The Oval Office is like Grand Central Terminal.”
“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 that bruising that we see,” she added.
Tapper said the explanation did not add up when compared to other public officials.
“We haven’t seen bruising like this on the hands of other presidents who also presumably shake a lot of hands or senators,” Tapper said.
Tapper questioned why Trump underwent an MRI if there was no underlying issue.
“There is something going on with his health that they’re not telling us, because otherwise, why did he have that MRI?” Tapper said.
CNN contributor David Axelrod said the lack of transparency was fueling speculation.
“Lack of transparency is a common theme throughout all of these discussions,” Axelrod said. “Clearly something’s going on.”
Axelrod said similar scrutiny applied to President Joe Biden should also apply to Trump. “The questions that were raised relative to President Biden, they should be raised now,” he said.
Tapper noted Trump has previously described himself as a germaphobe who dislikes shaking hands.
“Do you buy this explanation?” Tapper asked.
CNN contributor Alyssa Farah Griffin, who worked in the first Trump administration, said unanswered questions could worsen public speculation. “There’s going to have to be a better answer,” Griffin said. “The rumors and the speculation must take on a life of their own if there’s not some sort of a clear medical answer.”
Griffin added that she does not expect greater transparency from the administration. “We’re not going to get a whole lot more information than what we’ve gotten so far,” she said.
Axelrod said a straightforward response would help resolve the controversy.
“How about the truth?” Axelrod said. “How about facts?”
Tapper said the situation mirrors past debates over presidential health disclosures.
“What happened with Biden is instructive,” Tapper said.
In October, President Trump revealed that he underwent an MRI during his most recent medical checkup at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and that the results came back “perfect,” pushing back on recent speculation about his health from major media outlets.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Tokyo, Trump confirmed the scan took place during what he described as his “semi-annual physical.”
The 47th president joked about the thoroughness of the test and dismissed questions about why it was ordered.
“I did, I got an MRI — it was perfect,” Trump said. “We had an MRI, and the machine, you know, the whole thing, and it was perfect.”
When pressed on why he underwent the imaging procedure, Trump replied, “You could ask the doctors.”
The MRI was conducted at Walter Reed on Oct. 10 as part of a broader medical evaluation that Trump characterized as routine. The White House described it as a continuation of a series of checkups that began earlier in the year, including a full physical in April.
Trump told reporters that his medical team had given him “some of the best reports for the age” and insisted that the results were entirely normal.
“If I didn’t think it was going to be good, I wouldn’t run,” Trump said, referring to his 2024 re-election campaign.
