CNN’s Tapper Questions White House Explanation For Trump Bandages

CNN anchor Jake Tapper used his Thursday broadcast of The Lead to cast doubt on the White House’s explanation for visible bandages on the hands of President Donald J. Trump, fueling renewed media speculation about the President’s health despite clear statements from administration officials and Trump himself.

The latest round of conjecture followed the circulation of photographs showing minor bruising on the President’s hands and swelling around his ankles, alongside limited public discussion of a recent MRI that Trump underwent as part of a routine medical evaluation.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt addressed the matter directly earlier this week, dismissing suggestions of any hidden medical condition. As Mediaite reported, Leavitt attributed the bruising to the President’s demanding public schedule and standard preventative care.

“The President is literally constantly shaking hands,” Leavitt said. “The Oval Office is like Grand Central Terminal.”

“He’s also on a daily aspirin regimen, which is something his physical examinations has said in the past as well, which can contribute to that bruising that we see,” she added.

Tapper, however, argued that the explanation was insufficient, comparing Trump to other high-profile public officials.

“We haven’t seen bruising like this on the hands of other presidents who also presumably shake a lot of hands or senators,” Tapper said.

He went on to question the necessity of diagnostic imaging, suggesting the White House was withholding information.

“There is something going on with his health that they’re not telling us, because otherwise, why did he have that MRI?” Tapper said.

CNN contributor David Axelrod echoed the network’s skepticism, claiming a lack of transparency was driving speculation.

“Lack of transparency is a common theme throughout all of these discussions,” Axelrod said. “Clearly something’s going on.”

Axelrod added that the same level of scrutiny previously applied to former President Joe Biden should now be directed at Trump. “The questions that were raised relative to President Biden, they should be raised now,” he said.

Tapper further attempted to undermine the White House explanation by noting Trump’s past comments about avoiding physical contact.

“Do you buy this explanation?” Tapper asked.

CNN contributor Alyssa Farah Griffin, who served in the first Trump administration, warned that unanswered questions could encourage rumors.

“There’s going to have to be a better answer,” Griffin said. “The rumors and the speculation must take on a life of their own if there’s not some sort of a clear medical answer.”

Griffin also suggested the administration would not provide additional details. “We’re not going to get a whole lot more information than what we’ve gotten so far,” she said.

Axelrod closed by calling for more direct disclosure. “How about the truth?” Axelrod said. “How about facts?”

Tapper framed the controversy as reminiscent of prior debates over presidential health disclosures. “What happened with Biden is instructive,” Tapper said.

Those comparisons, however, overlook President Trump’s own public statements addressing the issue head-on. In October, Trump confirmed that he underwent an MRI during his most recent visit to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, stating unequivocally that the results were normal.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One while traveling to Tokyo, the 47th president said the scan was part of what he described as his “semi-annual physical.”

“I did, I got an MRI — it was perfect,” Trump said. “We had an MRI, and the machine, you know, the whole thing, and it was perfect.”

When pressed about why the imaging was ordered, Trump dismissed the implication that it signaled a problem.

“You could ask the doctors,” Trump replied.

The MRI, conducted at Walter Reed on Oct. 10, was part of a broader series of routine medical checkups, including a full physical earlier in the year. The White House has characterized the evaluation as standard and consistent with preventative care for someone maintaining one of the most demanding schedules in the world.

Trump also emphasized that his physicians were impressed with his overall condition.

“They gave me some of the best reports for the age,” Trump said, pushing back against what he described as unfounded media narratives.

“If I didn’t think it was going to be good, I wouldn’t run,” Trump added, referring to his successful 2024 re-election campaign.