CNN’s Jake Tapper questions Trump bandage explanation: 'Something is going on with his health'
WASHINGTON, DC: CNN anchor Jake Tapper openly challenged the Trump administration’s explanation for a visible bandage on Donald Trump, saying the public is likely being kept in the dark about aspects of the president’s health.
The remarks came during a CNN broadcast on Thursday, Dec 11 edition of ‘The Lead,’ where Tapper and CNN contributors David Axelrod and Alyssa Farah Griffin responded to comments from Karoline Leavitt, who attempted to downplay questions surrounding Trump’s appearance and health at a recent public event.
Jake Tapper questions White House explanation for Trump’s hand bandages
Jake Tapper pushes back on White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt’s explanation for the bandages President Donald Trump wears on his hands, saying there’s “something going on with his health that they’re not telling us.”
Speculation started to circulate that Trump's health might be in question after he showed up in public with a visibly large bandage, with people and the media questioning what could be going on.
The Trump admin was quick to shut down the worries by giving a very general explanation that neither confirmed nor denied the cause or the extent of the problem.
When asked about the bandages on his hands, Leavitt told reporters this week that Trump “is literally constantly shaking hands” and takes aspirin daily.
Q: Can you explain what's going on with the bandages on Trump's hand?
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) December 11, 2025
LEAVITT: We've given you an explanation. The president is literally constantly shaking hands. pic.twitter.com/np2SYrUgsD
Tapper said, “Obviously, he’s 79 years old. And there is something going on with his health that they’re not telling us, because otherwise, why did he have that MRI?”
Jake Tapper hints at possible misinformation
Tapper also argued that the reaction of the spokespersons to the questions made him even more confused and that it only raised more questions.
He implied that Trump's team might be lying or not telling the full truth about the condition of the president.
“And unless President Trump is a self-described germaphobe, he has said he doesn’t like shaking hands. Do you buy this explanation?” said Tapper.
Adding to this, Alyssa Farah Griffin said, “In the matchup of Biden versus Trump, we were either way going to have the oldest sitting president when he left office.”
“And these questions are going to continue to dog him. These are questions that the public has about this MRI that he got. I think that there’s going to have to be a better answer,” continued Griffin.
The Trump admin has denied rumors about the president’s health, saying he remains energetic and fully capable of performing his duties.
Trump's representatives have dismissed the media coverage as politically motivated and exaggerated, rejecting it as an unfounded attack.
