The White House confirmed Thursday that what seems to be a recurring hematoma in Trump’s hand is in fact the result of a medical condition.

The White House Secretary, Karoline Leavitt, told journalists during her regular information session that after an “thorough evaluation”, it was discovered that the president has “chronic venous insufficiency”, which emphasized that it was “a benign and common condition”, especially in people over 70 years.

In addition to the bruises, Leavitt said Trump has also experienced swelling at the bottom of the legs.

The makeup covers a bruise on the back of the hand of US president Donald Trump while receiving French president Emmanuel Macron for meetings at the White House on February 24, 2025 in Washington, DC
The makeup covers a bruise on the back of the hand of US president Donald Trump while receiving French president Emmanuel Macron for meetings at the White House on February 24, 2025 in Washington, DC

Somodevilla chip through Getty Images

He added that Trump, 79, does not show evidence of deep vein thrombosis or blood pressure, and that an echocardiogram did not show “without signs of heart failure.”

According to National Health Institutes, the underlying cause of the disease is typically venous valves that do not work badly, which can cause blood to group the limbs.

The White House also published a copy of the memorandum describing Trump’s diagnosis in more detail on Thursday afternoon:

A memo describes the steps taken by the White House doctors to diagnose Trump with
A memo describes the steps taken by the White House doctors to diagnose Trump with “chronic venous insufficiency.”

White House Communications Office

The explanation is much more satisfactory than the previous attempts to address the obvious hematoma.

In February, the White House said Trump’s hand is bruised because he is “a man of the people” and is “shaking hands all day, every day.”

Trump’s medical history is a mystery. While published his medical records in 2015 before his first term in office, he did not do so during the 2024 elections, despite promising to do so.

When the then Vice President Kamala Harris published medical records that showed that she was in excellent health, the president of the House of Representatives, Mike Johnson (R-La.), Accused the Harris campaign of participating in “diversion” tactics.