President Donald Trump — long known for using his handshake as a show of dominance — tried the same move during a recent White House event, but this time, it didn’t go the way he expected.
While greeting a group of young athletes, Trump suddenly shifted from his usual bravado to an odd complaint that left some critics online in stitches and others concerned.
The president complained about college athletes “ripping his hands up” after welcoming the Louisiana State University and LSU-Shreveport baseball teams — national champions in the NCAA and NAIA, respectively — to the White House on Oct. 20.
“They’re very strong hands, I’m noticing,” he said, according to The Daily Beast. “You know, they’re ripping me, they’re ripping my hand up!”
The comments came as he shook hands with Louisiana State University baseball player Steven Milam, 21, and former player Josh Pearson, 23.
Trump’s hands have been under scrutiny for months. They’ve appeared black and blue in press photos, and then heavily made up with mismatched concealer. A few times, his hands have been covered in mysterious red splotches.
The state of his hands, combined with swollen ankles and occasional stumbling, has raised widespread health concerns and sparked a frenzy of speculation.
Trump’s doctor, Sean Barbabella, attributed the bruising to minor soft tissue irritation caused by frequent handshaking and his use of aspirin. Trump’s mouthpiece, Karoline Leavitt, revealed that he suffers from chronic venous insufficiency, which can lead to leg swelling.
Meanwhile, the red markings have been linked to everything from golfing blisters and paper cuts to excessive hand-washing (Trump is a notorious germaphobe). Armchair doctors on the internet, however, are convinced that more serious health problems are afoot.
“Shake it off, big man. Healthiest specimen?” wrote a commenter on Facebook, calling into question Trump’s recent claim of “excellent health.” Another surmised: “When you’re too old for handshakes, you’re too old.”
Trump’s penchant for extended greetings — like his recent 26-second grip on French President Emmanuel Macron — has many scratching their heads in confusion over his recent moaning. “Didn’t he use strong handshakes to intimidate people????” asked one.
“It’s a piece of his own medicine. He likes to do the rough handshake to assert dominance. Also, that is his port hand. Where they administer the drugs to keep him alive and kicking. This is why he has the constant bruising on his right hand… so yeah, handshakes would exacerbate that,” one Facebook user wrote.
However, many say it’s par for the course at his age: “The man is 79. That’s expected.” Another wrote, “It’s not mysterious, he is obviously receiving IV medications,” though IV use has never been confirmed.
At least during the visit with the LSU athletes, his hands were reportedly blemish-free.
“Neither of his hands appeared to display any bruising on Monday, and press photographers have not captured any photos that display visible bruising since Oct. 5,” the outlet stated.
