Trump appears to hide his bruised hand during Oval Office executive order signing

Over the past few months, Donald Trump has frequently been pictured with a large bruise on his right hand

BY CONRAD DIAS

PUBLISHED SEP 6, 2025

Donald Trump tried his best to hide his bruised hand during an Oval Office executive order signing on Friday, September 5 (Getty Images)

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump seemingly tried to cover the bruise on his hand while signing an executive order in the Oval Office on Friday, September 5.

During the nearly 90-minute signing, Trump announced his decision to rename the Department of Defense to the Department of War, a title not used since the end of World War II.

WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 05: U.S. President Donald Trump reacts as he speaks to the media while signing executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House on September 05, 2025 in Washington, DC. President Trump signed executive orders which included the renaming of the Department of Defense to the Department of War. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images) — Donald Trump reacted while addressing the media during an Oval Office executive order signing on September 5, 2025, in Washington, DC (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Trump tried to hide his hands during dinner with tech leaders

Donald Trump also tried his best during his dinner with tech industry leaders on Thursday, September 4, to keep his hands hidden throughout the event.

The president kept his hands firmly below the table and out of sight, despite the presence of cameras. For someone known for frequent hand gestures while speaking, the move was highly uncharacteristic.

(L-R) White House “AI and Crypto Czar” David Scahs, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, U.S. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump share a moment during a dinner at the State Dining Room of the White House on September 4, 2025 in Washington, DC. President Trump hosted tech and business leaders for dinner after they joined the first lady’s meeting of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Education Task Force at the White House this afternoon. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) — David Scahs, Mark Zuckerberg, Donald Trump, and Melania Trump were pictured together during a dinner in the White House State Dining Room on September 4, 2025, in Washington, DC (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Trump, who was seated next to Mark Zuckerberg, kept his hands folded throughout the televised portion of the dinner. Interestingly, the event was listed as closed to the press in the official schedule, but cameras were allowed to broadcast live for nearly 20 minutes.

WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 05: U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth (R) speaks as U.S. President Donald Trump signs an executive order renaming the Department of Defense to the Department of War during a press availability in the Oval Office of the White House on September 05, 2025 in Washington, DC. President Trump signed executive orders which included the renaming of the Department of Defense to the Department of War. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images) — Pete Hegseth spoke as Donald Trump signed an executive order renaming the Department of Defense to the Department of War on September 5, 2025, in Washington, DC (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

On Friday, he again appeared to conceal his hands during the Oval Office signing. Trump has repeatedly been photographed with visible bruises on his hands in recent months, sparking speculation about his health.

A bruise is visible on the back of U.S. President Donald Trump's right hand during a meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung in the Oval Office at the White House on August 25, 2025 in Washington, DC. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt was asked about the bruising in February and she responded, — A bruise is visible on the back of President Donald Trump's right hand during a meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung in the Oval Office at the White House on August 25, 2025, in Washington, DC (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Over Labor Day weekend, rumors even circulated that Trump had suffered a medical emergency or worse, as he made no public appearances for several days.

White House denies Trump was unwell over Labor Day weekend

The White House dismissed rumors about Trump’s health, stating his lack of appearances was coincidental.

Trump himself said he was unaware of speculation that he had died but admitted hearing concerns about his condition. “I knew they were saying, like: ‘Is he OK? How is he feeling? What’s wrong?’” He dismissed it as “fake news” and insisted he was “very active over the weekend.”

WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 05: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the media after signing an executive order renaming the Department of Defense to the Department of War as U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth (C) and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force Gen. Dan Caine (R) look on in the Oval Office of the White House on September 05, 2025 in Washington, DC. President Trump signed executive orders which included the renaming of the Department of Defense to the Department of War. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images) — Donald Trump spoke to reporters after signing the executive order to rename the Department of Defense to the Department of War on September 5, 2025, in Washington, DC (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Previously, officials disclosed that the president had been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, a common condition among older adults where veins in the legs struggle to return blood to the heart.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt also attributed the bruising to “frequent handshaking and the use of aspirin,” which Trump reportedly takes regularly to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke.