President Donald Trump has been mocked after pulling out his winter wardrobe to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in pleasant fall weather.
Trump, 80, gave the communist dictator, 73, a rare meeting as he walked off the plane after flying into Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.
The weather was around 64 degrees when Trump and wife Melania walked the red carpet at the airport to meet their international guest. However, Trump was wearing thick black leather gloves and a long overcoat, while his wife opted for a light casual jacket and skirt, with no gloves or coat.
After Xi landed, Trump removed a glove from his right hand to shake the Chinese president’s hand.
A photo taken by Kent Nishimura for AFP/Getty Images shows Trump putting his glove back on, with heavy beige makeup visible on his hand.
Aging can contribute to poor thermoregulation, according to UCLA, which suggests seniors wear gloves to prevent the loss of valuable body heat through their extremities.
Trump’s odd fall fashion choices raised eyebrows online.
Journalist Aaron Rupar posted a video of the presidential meeting, noting, “It is 64 degrees at Joint Base Andrews right now and yet Trump is wearing gloves...”
Political commentator Ed Krassenstein asked on X, “Why is Trump wearing gloves when it’s 64 degrees out? Is he hiding something on his hands?”
The White House did not immediately respond to the Daily Beast’s questions about the president’s wardrobe choices.
Trump has a long history of using mismatched concealer to hide persistent bruising on both hands.
The White House has previously claimed the bruising was a by-product of Trump shaking hands.
Trump spokesperson Davis Ingle has previously told the Daily Beast in a recycled statement, “President Trump is the sharpest, most accessible, and energetic president in American history. The President is a man of the people and he meets more Americans and shakes their hands on a daily basis than any other President in history. President Trump’s commitment is unwavering and he proves that every single day.”
The handshaking excuse did not explain the bruising on Trump’s left hand.
Trump’s physician, Dr. Sean Barbabella, said Trump takes 325 milligrams of aspirin per day, as part of his health regime. A low dose of aspirin is most commonly 81 milligrams, according to the Mayo Clinic.
The president told the Wall Street Journal this year he takes the super-sized dose of the drug that thins the blood to avoid having “thick blood.”
“They’d rather have me take the smaller one,” Trump told the Journal of his dosing. “I take the larger one, but I’ve done it for years, and what it does do is it causes bruising.”
Trump was not wearing the black leather gloves when he boarded Marine One on his way to Joint Base Andrews.
Trump’s painful-looking bruised hands were both on display as he headed to North Carolina last week.
As the president clutched the rail of Air Force One, his left hand had deep purple bruising that had not been slathered with make-up.
When speaking to reporters, Trump’s right hand was covered in concealer.
As well as his bruised hands, earlier this month Trump was also spotted with angry-looking bruising on his forearm.
The curiously bruised forearm was also noticed in August while Trump was driving a golf cart at the LIV Golf tournament in Bedminster, revealing bruises and scrapes as well as Band-Aids on two fingers.
