President Donald Trump’s latest public appearance has intensified ongoing questions surrounding his health, after a Getty photographer captured two large Band-Aids stretched across the back of his right hand — an area the White House has long struggled to explain as it cycles through visible bru ising, heavy makeup, and now fresh bandaging.  The new detail surfaced during Tuesday’s marathon Cabinet meeting, where Trump, 79, repeatedly hid his hands under the desk and appeared to nod off for extended stretches, sharpening concerns sparked by weeks of halting remarks, confusion, and evasive statements about his recent medical tests. U.S. President Donald Trump looks on during a meeting of his Cabinet in the Cabinet Room of the White House on December 02, 2025, in Washington, DC. A bipartisan Congressional investigation has begun regarding Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s role in ordering U.S. military strikes on small boats in the waters off Venezuela that have killed scores of people, which Hegseth said are intended “to stop lethal drugs, destroy narco-boats and kill the narco-terrorists who are poisoning the American people.” (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) The Band-Aids, visible only when Trump briefly raised his hand to scratch his face, marked the latest in a series of efforts to conceal the persistent bruise that has appeared on the same hand throughout the year.  “I’ll let you know when there’s something wrong,” Trump snapped at reporters after complaints about the scrutiny. “There will be someday. That’s gonna happen to all of us. But right now, I think I’m sharper than I was 25 years ago.” View on Threads While the White House has attributed the discoloration to routine aspirin use and the wear of daily handshakes, critics speculated about the possibility of IV infusions, worsening venous issues, or undisclosed treatments.  ‘I Don’t Care’: Trump Loses His Temper About a Leader and Starts Name-Calling, but When He Drops the B-Word, the Whole Room Freezes “Why is he getting his infusions/draws in his hand?” one person asked on Threads.  Another commenter said: “I heard there’s something with the back of the hand for dementia medication… I’d love for someone to actually do an independent blood test and give us proof of what the hell is going on with him he’s definitely not well.” Even California Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove of California weighed in on the speculation on her official page, hinting at the use of Alzheimer’s drug, Leqembi. The Alzheimer's drug Leqembi: – Is administered through an infusion (for example, through the hand)– Can cause swelling, bleeding, or fluid leakage in the brain, requiring regular MRIs– Can cause tirednessCurious. pic.twitter.com/QrZV23fdG9— Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove (@RepKamlagerDove) December 4, 2025 The administration has offered no clarification. Instead, officials routinely redirect inquiries to a July 17 medical report diagnosing Trump with chronic venous insufficiency — an explanation that does not address the expanding bandages or the bruise’s year-long persistence. Trump has gone to conspicuous lengths to hide his hand at recent events, placing his left hand over his right during bill-signings, tucking it beneath a desk, and even benefiting from a strategically positioned “Gulf of America” nameplate in September that obscured it entirely during an Oval Office photo-op. The new bandaging also follows prior incidents: four small Band-Aids covering Trump’s fingers during a Scotland golf trip in July, and a blood-soaked dressing captured during a 2019 visit to Texas. At the time, Fox News host Sean Hannity shared a photo showing blood seeping through the bandage; the White House said the injury came from Trump “having fun and joking around with his son Barron.” More recently, questions about Trump’s MRI at Walter Reed have deepened the public’s unease. The president claimed he did not know which part of his body was scanned, then insisted the test was flawless.  On Monday, the White House released a letter from Dr. Sean P. Barbabella summarizing “advanced imaging tests” of Trump’s cardiovascular and abdominal systems and asserting that he “remains in excellent overall health.” Barbabella did not specify whether Trump underwent an MRI, instead framing the tests as part of a standard “executive physical.” His memo offered broad assurances — “perfectly normal” imaging, “excellent” cardiovascular health — while sidestepping the question of what prompted the scans, fueling the same pattern of selective disclosures now drawing escalating criticism. During Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting, Trump attempted to counter the scrutiny with a lengthy retelling of his recent cognitive exam. “I said, ‘Is it hard?’ They said yes. I said, ‘Well, I’m a very smart person. Who was the last president to take one?’ No president has ever agreed to take one,” he said. Trump added: “I aced it, right? I aced. I got every question right.” He then turned to the press: “These are questions that I would say 99 percent of the people that I’m talking to right now, meaning the people that from the fake news, would not do well in those exams.” His insistence on his cognitive strength did little to offset fresh concerns prompted by footage of Trump appearing to doze off during the two-hour meeting. Reporters in the room observed the president leaning back in his chair, tipping forward, twiddling his thumbs, and sitting motionless with his eyes shut for long stretches. When Secretary of State Marco Rubio closed the meeting with praise for Trump’s “transformational” foreign policy, Trump sat beside him with his eyes closed, shoulders lowered, then abruptly straightened up halfway through Rubio’s remarks. The White House has offered no comment on the clips, which spread widely across social media and were paired with earlier footage showing Trump briefly falling asleep during an Oval Office event on drug pricing.  The New York Times recently reported that Trump has significantly reduced his workload in his second term, keeping public hours largely between noon and 5 p.m., scaling back travel, and delegating more responsibilities as fatigue mounts. Trump blasted the article during the Cabinet meeting: “Then I read in The New York Times, ‘Is Trump sharp?’ Trump is sharp. But they’re not sharp. That’s why they’re going out of business, The New York Times … They’re a bunch of fakers.” As speculation about his stamina swells, Trump’s Band-Aid-covered hand has become a new focal point — another small but unexplained detail now layered atop mounting signs of physical slowing, public lapses, and an increasingly defensive White House medical posture. The latest attempt to conceal bruising has instead revived doubts about what the administration is choosing not to disclose. The sight of Trump’s bandaged hand led to a flood of amateur diagnoses on the same Threads post. “He is being treated for congestive heart failure and associated vascular dementia,” one person claimed. “Thin skin and blood thinners. A lot of older people get that look on the back of their hands,” another commenter noted. “He’s seriously rotting away,” added one critic. “Bandaids all across his hand, falling asleep at every conference, he’s almost never standing anymore at events – and when we see him walking, he’s dragging his right foot, which raises questions about the right side of his face drooping. He’s not well.” “Looks like he must be getting IVs in the back of the hand quite regularly…not an uncommon placement for an IV,” another speculated. ‘Seriously Rotting Away’: Social Media Zooms In on Trump’s Bandaged Hand After Viral Sleeping Episodes, Convinced They’ve Solved His Health Mystery ...read more read less