Trump Responds to Rumors About Red Marks on Hand

Former President Donald Trump leaves Trump Tower for Manhattan federal court for the second defamation trial against him, in New York City on Jan. 17, 2024. Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images

Former President Donald Trump responded to pictures that appeared to show red marks on his hand that led to speculation last week.

The photos, taken while the former president was leaving the Trump Tower on Jan. 17 for his defamation trial in New York City, appeared to show his hands covered in red spots or marks. A number of left-wing media outlets, including MSNBC, made a number of suggestions saying the marks could signal a health problem.

When he was asked this week by a Fox News reporter about the marks, President Trump didn’t appear to understand what the reporter was referring to.

“How’s your hand? It looks better now,” Fox’s Mark Meredith asked. “My hand?” President Trump responded.

Later, the former president asked the reporter about “what was wrong” with his hand. Mr. Meredith then described the photos that drew the speculative comments as the former president said that he did not see the photos. He also held up his hands multiple times.

Mr. Meredith then asked, “You don’t want to tell us what happened with the hands?” President Trump replied with a quip: “Nothing. Maybe it’s AI,” or artificial intelligence.

After the exchange, Fox News cut back to its “America Reports” co-host Sandra Smith, who said,  “Remarkable that he didn’t even know about all the speculation and coverage of those hands.” Later, “America Reports” host John Roberts said that “there was a lot of some unkind speculation” online regarding the photo.

Photos of President Trump taken later on Jan. 17 show that the marks appeared to have vanished.

Rampant Media Speculation

The Trump campaign issued a statement to media outlets about the speculative reports and social media commentary, describing them as the product of a “media hysteria.” The Epoch Times contacted the campaign for comment on Thursday.

“The media hysteria and ridiculous commentary from reporters and journalists just proves how unserious some news outlets have become,” Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung said in a statement.

For example, a Business Insider article wrote that “we asked a dermatologist about the mystery marks on Trump’s hand” and “here’s what he said” about the marks, including speculative commentary that the spots may be some kind of skin problem.

Since the photo of his hand was taken last month, Business Insider has published no fewer than three articles on the matter. Newsweek, meanwhile, has published at least four articles about the photo, while the Huffington Post also has published at least three. Similarly, the Daily Mail published four reports about President Trump’s hand.

“Red spots on Donald Trump’s hand spark speculation,” the Independent wrote. Meanwhile, a Mediate headline blared: “Morning Joe Speculates Trump Had ‘Blood’ On His Hands Due to Banging Them on a Court Table ‘Like a Toddler,'” referring to the MSNBC show that often features criticism of the former president.

Meanwhile, a former Clinton adviser and longtime Democratic operative, James Carville, made an unverified claim that the red marks were due to a serious bacterial disease.

Appealing Case

This week, the former president wrote on his Truth Social platform that he’s in the process of “interviewing various law firms to represent me in an appeal” of the E. Jean Carroll ruling, which he described as “one of the most ridiculous and unfair Witch Hunts our Country has ever seen.”

“Any lawyer who takes a TRUMP CASE is either ‘CRAZY,’ or a TRUE AMERICAN PATRIOT,” President Trump added. “I will make my decision soon.”

Lawyers for the former president have said they will appeal both verdicts. “It will not deter us. We will keep fighting. And I assure you, we didn’t win today, but we will win,” attorney Alina Habba said in a recent statement.

Among other things, his team wants higher courts to rule that President Trump was within his rights to deny Ms. Carroll’s allegations forcefully and suggest that she had ulterior motives.

“Everyone has a right to defend themselves,” his lawyer said. President Trump’s lawyers also are contesting Judge Kaplan’s ruling that the jury in the second trial did not need to revisit whether the former president was liable for sexual assault, and that the judge unfairly limited what the Trump legal team could say in front of the jury.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.