‘That Looks Bad’: Trump’s Tight Grip on a Sharpie Has Viewers Zooming In on His Noticeably Different Signature — And Something Much Worse He Keeps Covering
President Donald Trump has never been particularly precious about personal branding.
He has a long-standing habit of leaving his name, handprint or stamp wherever he can. If there’s a surface, sign or photo op nearby, Trump rarely misses the chance to make it unmistakably his.
This time, however, his own signature became the curiosity. Then came a brutal close-up that revealed something even worse.
Donald Trump’s Oval Office appearance has the public noticing the difference in his handwriting. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Trump’s recent remarks at a rally were overshadowed by antics he hoped would improve his public image.
The 80-year-old regularly attempts to look like an effective leader and less like the “Dozy Don” who meanders through speeches and falls asleep during meetings.
Trump signed an executive order expanding red-dye diesel use on Oct. 5 at the Pinnacle Bank Expo Center in Grand Island, Nebraska.
“I’m going to do what Joe Biden couldn’t do: sign his signature,” Trump told the crowd.
He held up the folder containing the document, then his hand moved in sharp, peak-like motions for 10 seconds.
Trump mockingly used a photo of an autopen to represent his Democratic predecessor along the White House Presidential Walk of Fame, where photos of Barack Obama and other presidents are on display.
However, on Monday the Republican politician prematurely celebrated the feat.
“So, yup, I just did something— what Joe Biden was incapable, he could not sign; he only used autopen,” Trump said.
An immediate observation on IG Threads read, “Trump is proud of his signature, but doesn’t it seem off this time?” A second user agreed, stating, “It is quite different.”
On X, an observer wrote, “I really wouldn’t call a running a Sharpie in a continuous up and down pattern a signature, it just looks like an EKG result or something.”
After taking a closer look, one person asked, “Trump is signing Biden’s signature?
The boastful president often flaunts signed executive orders in the Oval Office.
Each time, people zoom in, baffled by the excessive letters used to spell Trump. The blunder further perpetuates rumors that his health is rapidly declining.
The president used to brag about his cognitive fitness and the tests he aced.
However, those health claims settled down as speculation over his sometimes battered appearance raised eyebrows.
Among the concerns, Trump has bruised, cracked and sometimes swollen hands that he frequently covers with makeup.
The brutal pile-on worsened when cameras unexpectedly captured his right hand during the rally.
Many noticed he added more makeup to conceal the bruising. One person noticed, “He is keeping a foundation brand in business.” He must be out of his orange spray…but seriously, I’d hire a makeup person. That’s ridiculous,” added another.
A large vein protruding toward his red fingers was also noticeable. The caked-on concealer was a drastically different color from his hand, making it obvious that he was hiding something.
“When hasn’t it looked half rotted?” a critic wondered, while another said, “That looks bad.”
Countless people echoed the sentiment, pointing to the sores and needle-like indentations on his hand.
Most theories suggest some intravenous medical intervention has been taking place since last summer.
However, the administration insists that the discoloration is from frequent handshakes.
Trump was also given a clean bill of health and deemed fit for office during a physical in May.
This election season, the stakes are higher than usual — and so is the pressure on newsrooms to soften their coverage, stay quiet, or just disappear. Independent reporting, the kind that answers to readers instead of advertisers or political pressure, matters more in a moment like this, not less.
For over 14 years, Atlanta Black Star has stayed independent and reader-funded. We have no corporate owner and no shareholders telling us what to cover or how to cover it. That independence is also our biggest vulnerability: nothing protects it except readers choosing to fund it directly.
Newspaper ad revenue has fallen more than 80% since 2005, and local newsrooms are closing at a rate of roughly two a week nationwide. When outlets go under in a moment like this, it's rarely the independent, reader-funded ones that get to stick around.
We know a request for support isn't why you came here. But without readers choosing to fund this work directly, the depth of reporting we can do at home and abroad shrinks along with everyone else's. If you're not in a position to give, that doesn't change how much we value you as a reader.
If you are able to, a recurring contribution does more for us than a single one-time gift, because it lets us plan the next investigation instead of just the next invoice. It takes about 30 seconds, no long form, no account. Thank you for continuing to support independent journalism and freedom of the press.