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Former President Donald Trump joked on Wednesday afternoon about a recent photo showing red spots on his hand, telling a Fox News correspondent, "Maybe it's AI."
Trump sounded confused when Mark Meredith asked, "How's your hands?" The former president held up both to show that they were clean. Trump fielded questions from the press after meeting with Teamsters union leaders and members in Washington, D.C.
The Context
Trump has been in the spotlight as the GOP front-runner in the 2024 presidential race and a defendant in multiple criminal and civil trials. When the photo showing Trump's red-spotted hand was taken this month, the former president was departing from Trump Tower in Manhattan to attend the second defamation trial involving writer E. Jean Carroll.
What We Know
When Meredith asked the former president if he saw the photo, which depicted three red marks on his hand, Trump said, "No. What was wrong with it?"
Meredith pressed, "You don't want to tell us what happened with the hands?" Trump replied: "Nothing. Maybe it's AI."
After showing the exchange between Trump and Meredith on Fox News' America Reports, co-host Sandra Smith said: "Remarkable that he didn't even know about all the speculation and coverage of those hands."
Newsweek reached out to Trump's campaign via email for comment on Wednesday.
Views
The photo sparked speculation on social media, with people asking if he had early-stage leprosy or open wounds from a fall.
Left-wing X account Patriot Takes wrote on X of the photo: "No bandages, just open wounds. How is Trump going to 'make America great again' when he can't even take care of his own hand?"
America Reports' John Roberts said, "there was a lot of some unkind speculation" surrounding the photo.
What's Next?
While the red blemishes on Trump's hand will remain a mystery, a verdict in his defamation trial was reached on Friday. Trump must pay Carroll $83.3 million for defaming her in 2019 by accusing the former Elle columnist of lying about sexual assault allegations that she leveled against Trump.
Trump lawyer Alina Habba told reporters outside the New York City courthouse on Friday that they would "immediately" appeal the verdict.
Carroll told ABC News' George Stephanopoulos, "I'd like to give the money to something Donald Trump hates," adding the possibility of making a fund for women who claimed to have been sexually assaulted by Trump. The former president has denied all allegations of sexual misconduct brought against him.
Update 1/31/24, 5:12 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
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About the writer
Rachel Dobkin is a Newsweek reporter based in New York. Her focus is reporting on politics. Rachel joined Newsweek in ... Read more