Donald Trump has publicly shamed his spokesperson, Caroline Leavitt, by contradicting her repeated assurances and excuses about his health issues.
Since the 79-year-old Trump returned to office last January, speculation has swirled about his bruised hands and cognitive abilities, especially after he underwent a mysterious scan in the fall and The Daily Beast was the first to report on the president’s various medical issues, including his swollen ankle.
Levitt, 28, has repeatedly claimed that the discoloration on the back of his right hand was caused by Trump covering the back of his right hand with Band-Aids, bandages and heavy makeup because, as “a man of the people,” Trump “meets and shakes hands with Americans more every day than any other president in history.”
While Levitt also blamed the bruises on the president’s frequent aspirin use, she often blamed Trump’s handshake when responding to questions about his hands, including when The Beast political reporter Farrah Tomazin asked about it earlier this month.
“The president actually shakes hands all the time, and the Oval Office is like Grand Central Station,” she explained earlier this month.
In February 2025, when Trump hosted French President Emmanuel Macron for a meeting at the White House, he used makeup to cover a bruise on the back of his hand. /Chip Somodevilla/Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Days after a bruise appeared to spread to Trump’s left hand, which he doesn’t use to greet people, the president gave a revealing interview Thursday to The Wall Street Journal about his health.
Trump suggested different reasons for the bruises: overuse of aspirin and thinning of the skin.
He told the Wall Street Journal that he takes 325 milligrams of aspirin daily, four times the 81 milligrams of “low-dose” aspirin commonly used in daily treatments at the Mayo Clinic, although he acknowledged that doctors urged him to take less.
The bruises were clearly visible during a meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung in the Oval Office in August 2025. /Chip Somodevilla/Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Trump said taking a higher-than-recommended amount of aspirin was a central factor in the bruises on his hands. But he told the outlet he refused to reduce his dose because he had followed the same routine for decades and was “a bit superstitious”.
Trump also said he wears makeup because his skin is soft and bruises when he takes a “hard hit.”
Referring to the scene in which Attorney General Pam Bondi, 60, cut him during a high-five, he told the Wall Street Journal: “The ring hit the back of my hand, and yes, there was a slight cut.”
Trump can be seen with a bandage on his right hand during an event at the Mount Airy Casino Resort on Dec. 9, 2025. /Alex Wong/Getty Images
He added that he would put makeup on his hands after “getting beaten up by someone again”, saying: “My makeup goes on very easily, it takes about 10 seconds.”
Trump also provided more details about his October scan, further embarrassing Levitt, who rebuffed repeated inquiries about the matter from the White House podium.
At first, she answered questions repeatedly without revealing the name of the test, relying instead on written assurances about his condition. On Oct. 23, she declined to say what tests he had undergone. On November 4, when asked why Trump had described an MRI a week earlier, she said she would “come back and check it out,” while insisting that Trump was in “best health” and treating Walter Reed’s visit as a routine follow-up.
Trump told people he had an MRI, but he apparently didn’t, for reasons that remain unclear. / Reuters
When asked again on Nov. 12, Levitt followed the language of the doctor’s memo, reiterating that Trump had received “advanced imaging” during a routine checkup and that doctors considered his case “unique,” but did not explain why the imaging was requested.
Levitt’s position remained unchanged until Dec. 1, when Trump’s physician, Navy Capt. Sean Barbabella, issued a memo describing cardiovascular imaging. Levitt told reporters the screening was normal and positioned the disclosure as transparent.
Even so, the White House’s preferred shorthand remains “advanced imaging,” rather than a clear, consistent label for what Trump is experiencing.
In the Wall Street Journal interview, Trump said he had been telling people it was an MRI, but later corrected: “It’s not an MRI… It’s less than an MRI. It’s a scan.” He complained that getting the test gave critics “ammunition” because it raised questions about whether there was a problem.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump and Barbera eventually described the procedure as a CT scan performed to rule out cardiovascular problems, which found no abnormalities.
Levitt is a loyal spokesman for Trump, repeating obvious lies on a range of issues even though they are demonstrably untrue. /Anna Money Tree/Getty Images
The Wall Street Journal quoted Levitt as saying that the White House “often refers to the procedure as ‘advanced imaging,'” but did not explain why Trump did not correct the MRI/CT description earlier.
In the Wall Street Journal article, Trump also discussed his “ankle” and why he was apparently unable to stay awake during public meetings.
The Daily Beast has reached out to the White House and Levitt for comment.
