Donald Trump’s touched-up right hand has made another public appearance, provoking renewed interest in his lifelong fear of the humble handshake.
During his visit to the Federal Reserve headquarters on Thursday, photographers captured a large patch of thick makeup on the back of the president’s dominant hand.
The White House previously claimed the concealer was used to cover bruising that was a workplace injury caused by persistent handshaking—despite the president’s well-known germaphobia.
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When contacted by the Daily Beast earlier this month after photos of the president’s hand covered in cosmetics surfaced, Trump’s reps denied there were any medical reasons behind the bruising.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on July 15, “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.”
On July 17, Leavitt admitted the president had been evaluated by the White House medical unit after his bruised hand and swollen ankles had raised concerns over his health.
Leavitt said, “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.”
The “comprehensive examination” of the 79-year-old concluded he had Chronic Venous Insufficiency (CVI), which occurs when the veins cannot manage blood flow well, making it more difficult for the blood to return to the heart.
Trump’s bruised hand was put down to “tissue damage from frequent handshaking” while taking aspirin as “part of a standard cardio-vascular prevention regimen.”
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for an update on Trump’s health and what product he uses on his hand.
Meanwhile, it appears that Trump must have had to learn to love the art of shaking hands since going into politics.
In Trump’s 1997 book The Art of the Comeback, Trump said as a germaphobe, he loathed shaking hands so much he had considered “taking out a series of newspaper ads encouraging the abolishment of the handshake.”
He wrote, “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.”
In his book, Trump found one positive about handshaking. “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?”
In a 1999 interview with the New York Times to promote the book, Trump doubled down on his hatred of the handshake.
“I think shaking hands is barbaric, especially in our crazy modern-day age,” Trump said. ‘’The thing I hate second to hand shaking is the double-kiss. There’s nothing so phony. It takes too long. It’s too inconvenient. You usually end up knocking heads or noses. And it’s disgusting. Unless the woman is attractive.’’
