President Trump said a large bruise on his left hand came from hitting the corner of a signing table at a Board of Peace event in Davos and that he applied cream to the spot. The White House released photos it says show no bruise earlier that day, while video shows the discoloration became more noticeable about 10 minutes into the signing session. Trump and his physician noted he takes a higher daily aspirin dose (reported as 325 mg), which can increase bruising; the Mayo Clinic cites low-dose aspirin as 75–100 mg (81 mg common).
Trump Says Left-Hand Bruise Came From Hitting Signing Table In Davos, Blames Aspirin
A bruise can be seen on the back of US President Donald Trump's left hand during a signing ceremony for the “Board of Peace” at the World Economic Forum (WEF) on January 22 in Davos, Switzerland. - Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
President Donald Trump told CNN on Thursday that a large bruise on his left hand resulted from bumping it on a table while in Davos, Switzerland, and that he applied cream to the area.
“I clipped it on the table,” he told CNN’s Samantha Waldenberg aboard Air Force One. “I put a little — what do they call it? — cream on it. But I clipped it.”
The White House issued a similar account earlier the same day. "At the Board of Peace event today in Davos, President Trump hit his hand on the corner of the signing table, causing it to bruise," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.
A White House official also provided CNN with photographs taken Wednesday and Thursday in Davos, saying, “Pictures from yesterday and this morning clearly show no bruising.” Video from the Board of Peace signing initially shows the president’s hand without visible heavy bruising; about 10 minutes into the session, after he had been seated and signed several documents, the discoloration became noticeably darker.
Trump attributed the pronounced bruising in part to his higher daily aspirin dose, which his physician has previously said can make him bruise more easily. “I would say, take aspirin if you like your heart, but don’t take aspirin if you don’t want to have a little bruising,” he said. He added that his doctor told him he did not need the higher dose, but he chose to continue: “I’m not taking any chances.”
In a recent Wall Street Journal interview, the president’s physician, Dr. Sean Barbabella, said Trump takes 325 milligrams of aspirin daily. The Mayo Clinic notes that a low dose of aspirin commonly used to help prevent heart attack or stroke ranges from 75 to 100 milligrams (81 mg is common) and that aspirin therapy doses typically fall between 75 and 325 milligrams.
Trump has previously had visible bruising on his right hand before returning to the White House; those earlier marks drew attention when he sometimes tried to conceal them with heavy makeup, bandages, or by shielding them from cameras. Left-hand bruising spotted late last year also prompted questions about his health, which resurfaced with this new discoloration.
What Happened, According To Available Evidence
The White House and the president say the bruise resulted from hitting the corner of the signing table during the Board of Peace event in Davos; photographic evidence provided by the White House suggests the mark appeared after earlier photos showed no bruise. Medical context provided by the president and his doctor points to higher-dose aspirin as a plausible factor in easier bruising.
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