US President Donald Trump found with makeup, ‘small hole’ on his hand: Social media reacts, ‘They stuff him with drugs’

On 28 December, US President Donald Trump met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at Mar-a-Lago. It was part of his ongoing effort to push for peace in the Russia-Ukraine war. He has repeatedly claimed he would end the conflict on his first day back in office. However, as he answered questions, something else grabbed the viewer’s attention.

Reporters noticed the uneven makeup on Donald Trump’s right hand. Earlier, on Christmas Eve, both hands showed signs of bruising and discolouration. This time, only the right hand appeared to be covered with concealer while the left looked normal.

When asked about it, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt repeated the same statement she has been giving since February.

“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 unwaverin,g and he proves that every single day,” she told The Daily Beast.

Leavitt earlier said Trump’s bruising was caused by “minor soft tissue irritation” from constant handshaking. She also blamed it on regular aspirin use for heart health.

The makeup patches, along with Trump’s swollen ankles, a recent MRI, repeated medical checkups and occasional verbal errors, have raised questions about his health. The White House continues to insist Trump is in “excellent health”.

Cause of discolouration

The White House earlier explained that the bruising was linked to Chronic Venous Insufficiency (CVI). It is a common circulation problem that is most commonly seen in older adults.

CVI occurs when the veins, primarily in the legs, are unable to effectively pump blood back to the heart. The small valves inside the veins weaken, causing blood to pool.

This leads to swelling, skin darkening. In some cases, bruising can also appear on the hands. Though not life-threatening, CVI can affect comfort and may cause complications if ignored, according to the Saint James School of Medicine.

Medicines like aspirin, which thin the blood, can make bruises look more prominent. At 79, Trump’s age and regular aspirin use likely contribute to these symptoms, according to SJSM.

Donald Trump oldest to become US president

Donald Trump is now the oldest person to become the US president. When he took the oath for his second, non-consecutive term on 20 January 2025, he was 78 years and 220 days old.

This broke the previous record held by Joe Biden, who was 78 years and 61 days at his 2021 inauguration. Biden later became the first president to turn 80 in office.

Before them, Ronald Reagan held the record for 36 years after taking office in 1981 at 69 years and 349 days. William Henry Harrison was the oldest in the 19th century at 68 years and 23 days. Joe Biden remains the oldest former president after leaving office at 82.

Social media reactions

Social media users have spotted Donald Trump’s hands and questioned his health. Some of them spotted a “small hole at the site of discolouration”.

“Not only was Trump's right hand discoloured on Christmas Eve, but it appears his left hand is now discoloured too,” came one comment.

Another posted, “That's an old IV site. It looks like the IV was removed a couple of days ago.”

“You can clearly see the bruising on Trump's left hand here, as well as the makeup that covers the bruising on his right hand. Will the White House try to tell us that's from "shaking a lot of hands" too?” asked one of them.

“His make-up artist is just terrible at matching shades,” commented another.

Another user posted a sarcastic comment, “It's normal. Do you have any idea how many peasants he has to backhand every day? The never-ending stream of stupid he has to slap out of liberals? I'm surprised he's not calloused.”

“They stuff him with drugs. He’s barely functioning without them,” came from another.

“I wonder if they're using the same makeup on him that is used on a corpse…” came a dark comment.