Donald Trump has claimed a large purple bruise on his left hand was caused by “clipping it” on a table while he was in Switzerland.
Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, he said using high doses of aspirin had left him prone to bruising.
The US president said: “I clipped it on the table. I put a little – what do they call it? cream on it. But I clipped it.”
He continued: “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.
“I take the big aspirin, and when you take the big aspirin, they tell you, you bruise. The doctor said, ‘You don’t have to take that, sir, you’re very healthy.’ I said, ‘I’m not taking any chances.'”
In a statement published on Thursday, the White House made the same claim.
Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said: “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.”
Speaking to The Telegraph, she insisted the mark was thanks to Trump’s commitment to serving the public.
Ms Leavitt claimed: “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 unwavering and he proves that every single day.”
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Mr Trump has previously been seen regularly with bruising to his right hand, leading to speculation about the state of his health.
Last year, the White House revealed that he was suffering from a chronic vein condition, which causes swollen ankles.
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Ms Leavitt said then the president had been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency following tests by the White House medical team.
She said: “The president underwent a comprehensive examination… [which] revealed chronic venous insufficiency, a benign common condition, particularly in individuals over the age of 70. Importantly, there was no evidence of deep vein thrombosis or arterial disease.”
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Mr Trump, who will turn 80 in June, has said he is in “perfect” health.
In a social media post made last year, he claimed none of his predecessors had ever worked as hard as he.
Mr Trump wrote: “My hours are the longest, and my results are among the best. I go out of my way to do long, thorough, and very boring medical examinations… Some [doctors] have even said they have never seen such Strong Results.”
