Kai Trump’s Instagram post may have unintentionally revealed the timeline behind Donald Trump’s long-rumored hand injury that the President first blamed on ‘shaking hands’ with so many people
17:13 ET, 23 Oct 2025Updated 17:16 ET, 23 Oct 2025
President Donald Trump had his hand injury timeline exposed by granddaughter Kai(Image: Getty Images)
Kai Trump may have just leaked a timeline the White House spent months trying to control.
The 18-year-old granddaughter of the president posted an Instagram carousel on Wednesday that, at first glance, looked like another influencer-style dump to promote her clothing line, closely resembling the likes of NFL star Travis Kelce. But buried among the selfies and throwbacks was a photo that confirmed Donald Trump’s bruised hand had been present since November, weeks before his official return to the White House.
The photo was initially posted on election night and shows Kai and Donald Trump celebrating inside Mar-a-Lago as the results came in. Trump’s right hand was noticeably caked with a poor spray tan or a thick layer of foundation concealing purple bruising near his knuckles. At the time, no one paid attention.
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After months of speculation, it seems the makeup was an early effort to hide a problem that would later become a major topic on cable news and health blogs. Trump addressed the bruising in December 2024 during a TIME interview, chalking it up to “shaking hands with thousands of people.”
Since then, the hand has taken on a character of its own during campaign events. It appears during rallies, especially in fist pumps. On the golf course, it holds a club to hit a ball, despite many rivals claiming that the president doesn’t play the game fairly.
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In July, the White House issued a memo from Trump’s doctor, Dr. Sean Barbabella, stating that the bruising was “consistent with minor soft tissue irritation from frequent handshaking and aspirin use.”
The doctor noted that aspirin was part of a “standard cardiovascular prevention regimen” and described the side effect as “benign and well known.”
The same report addressed Trump’s swollen ankles and diagnosed him with chronic venous insufficiency, a condition where veins have trouble pushing blood back to the heart.
Trump’s team claims his bruise is from shaking hands(Image: Getty Images)
Press secretary Karoline Leavitt reiterated the diagnosis later that month, insisting that Trump remained “in exceptional health.” RadarOnline reported that sources close to the president say he’s experiencing mobility problems and have indicated that a hip replacement might be unavoidable.
The report states that his physical discomfort at 79 is actually ‘far worse than he admits publicly.’ Despite his hand conditions, Trump has continued playing golf, often swinging with Kai.
She frequently tags along with her camera and phone and even documents herself playing on social media. Kai has pledged her future to the University of Miami, where she will join the 2026 Hurricanes golf team.
President Trump owns 17 golf courses globally, from the US to Scotland, Dubai, and more.
His Doral resort course in Miami is set to host a PGA Tour signature event with a $20 million purse next season.
