President Donald Trump’s recurring hand bruising was back in the spotlight Wednesday after new photographs showed noticeable discoloration as he arrived in North Carolina.
Trump, 80, was photographed stepping off Air Force One at Charlotte Douglas International Airport on Sept. 16 before traveling to Gastonia for a campaign appearance supporting Republican U.S. Senate candidate Michael Whatley. Reuters separately documented Trump’s appearance later that evening at Gastonia Municipal Airport.
Photos from the Charlotte arrival showed several dark, purplish marks on the back of Trump’s left hand as he held the railing while descending the aircraft stairs.
Other images taken while Trump spoke with reporters appeared to show makeup or concealer on his right hand, where similar bruising has repeatedly been visible during his second term.
The appearance quickly drew attention because the White House has previously addressed questions about the president’s hands.
Trump’s physician, Navy Capt. Sean Barbabella, wrote in July 2025 that the bruising was consistent with “minor soft tissue irritation from frequent handshaking” combined with aspirin use for cardiovascular prevention. The White House released the physician’s memorandum after photographs of Trump’s hand prompted public questions.
The explanation was repeated during Trump’s latest annual physical earlier this year.
Following an extensive May 26 examination at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Barbabella again described Trump’s hand bruising as minor and attributed it to frequent handshaking and aspirin therapy.
The May medical report said Trump demonstrated strong cardiac, pulmonary, neurological and overall physical function and described him as fully able to carry out his presidential duties.
Trump himself has also discussed the bruising.
In January, after a bruise appeared on his left hand during a trip to Switzerland, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that he had struck his hand on a table and said his aspirin use made him bruise more easily.
“I take the big aspirin,” Trump said at the time.
Reuters reported that four physicians it consulted said aspirin could plausibly contribute to bruising.
Trump has said he takes aspirin for cardiovascular prevention.
His 2026 physical, however, noted that doctors recommended he use low-dose aspirin going forward.
That medical detail adds context to the recurring photographs.
Aspirin interferes with platelet function and can make bruising easier because it reduces the blood’s ability to clot. That does not establish the cause of any particular bruise visible in a photograph, but it is consistent with the explanation Trump and his physician have provided.
The White House has not announced any new medical issue connected specifically to Wednesday’s photographs.
Trump has separately been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, a common condition in older adults that affects blood flow in the legs.
That diagnosis was made after Trump experienced mild swelling in his lower legs in 2025. Medical testing found no evidence of deep-vein thrombosis or arterial disease, according to the White House.
The venous condition concerns Trump’s legs and should not be confused with the separate explanation the White House has given for bruising on his hands.
His most recent physical said the leg swelling had improved compared with the previous year.
Trump’s North Carolina appearance Wednesday was primarily political.
He traveled to Gastonia to campaign with Whatley, the Republican nominee for the Senate seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Thom Tillis.
During the rally, Trump urged supporters to back Whatley against Democratic nominee and former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper in the Nov. 3 election.
Watch coverage of Trump’s Gastonia rally and North Carolina appearance
The renewed attention surrounding Trump’s hands comes more than a year after the White House first publicly explained the bruising.
Since then, photographs have shown marks on both hands at different times.
What can be established from the public record is that Trump’s physician has repeatedly attributed the bruising to frequent handshaking and aspirin therapy, while Trump himself has also said aspirin causes him to bruise easily.
No new diagnosis related to Wednesday’s hand discoloration has been announced.
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Many of us who are over the age of 70 are familiar with bruises on the backs of our hands. This is not verification of a life or death situation! Discoloration can come from blood draws, from bumps and clumsiness, from unexpected little accidents. I don’t want to believe that people are over-reacting to this: how petty!
Yes, not worthy of worldwide news… only Burns would want to know about it…
THESE BRUISES THAT THEY SEEM TO WORRY ABOUT ARE A COMMON SIGN ON OLDER PEOPLE. THEY ARE ” NOT” SERIOUS. I AM THE SAME AGE AS THE PRESIDENT AND I HAVE THESE SAME BRUISES , THEY COME AND THEY GO, THEY ARE” NOT” SERIOUS AND ARE JUST A SIGN THE WE ARE GETTING OLDER.
OMG! President Trump, it appears has bruised his hand! Is it a sign of pending disaster? ABC, NBC, CBS and all the rest of the mainstream media whores won’t rest until they can all agree on a suitable fabrication that will be front page fonder for the Democrats and the Socialists to spread around like the typical manure they spread!