After a year of speculation, US President Donald Trump has finally addressed the 'mystery' blemish that has sporadically made appearances on the back of his hand.
The bruise was first spotted in February of last year - a month after the Republican was controversially sworn into the White House for the second time - when he first met with French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss the war in Ukraine.
In photos that went viral at the time, the right-wing leader was seen sporting a considerably-sized, deep blue bruise on his hand.
The same mark also made an appearance when Trump presented the 2025 Commander-in-Chief trophy to the Navy Midshipmen football team in April, when he boarded Marine One on his way to Pittsburgh ahead of his meeting with Vladimir Putin in July, and during his get-together with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung in August.
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On a number of other occasions, it was found that Trump had attempted to cover up his bruises with concealer and make-up.
Following concerns for his health, Trump's press secretary Karoline Leavitt previously claimed the apparent injury was caused by how many hands the President shakes daily.
"His commitment is unwavering, and he proves that every single day," she added.
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The same claim was made by Trump himself months later, when he told Time magazine that he'd spent the year 'shaking hands with thousands of people'.
As we say, however, Trump this week made the decision to confront the ceaseless health rumours head-on, telling the Wall Street Journal that they're caused by him taking aspirin, which has made him more susceptible to bleeding.
"They say aspirin is good for thinning out the blood, and I don't want thick blood pouring through my heart," the 79-year-old told the publication on Thursday (1 Jan).
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"I want nice, thin blood pouring through my heart. Does that make sense?"
Despite his assertion, the politician is unlikely to have put the speculation to bed once and for all.
Some experts previously suggested the bruise could have derived 'from an IV drip' - as the discolouration resembled the kind left by a needle insertion - whilst others put forward the theory that sun exposure triggered by a lot of time spent outdoors - possibly playing golf - could have had a part to play.
Addressing these allegations, White House communications director Steven Cheung issued a fiery warning.
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"Any so-called medical professionals engaging in armchair diagnosis or false speculation for political purposes are clearly breaking the Hippocratic Oath they’ve sworn to, and they should get their head examined," he hit out.
Cheung's statement was closely followed by Leavitt breaking the news that Trump had been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency - a condition which occurs when your leg veins become damaged, making it tricky for blood to be sent back up to your heart.
"In the effort of transparency, the president wanted me to share a note from his physician with all of you today," the press sec explained in July. "In recent weeks, President Trump noted mild swelling in his lower legs.
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"In keeping with routine medical care, and out of an abundance of caution, this concern was thoroughly evaluated by the White House medical unit.”
She added: "The president underwent a comprehensive examination, including diagnostic vascular studies, bilateral lower extremity, venous doppler ultrasounds were performed and revealed chronic venous insufficiency … a common condition, particularly in individuals over the age of 70.
"Importantly, there was no evidence of deep vein thrombosis or arterial disease… An echocardiogram was also performed and confirmed normal cardiac structure and function, no signs of heart failure, renal impairment or systemic illness were identified additionally."
Topics: Donald Trump, US News, Politics
Rhianna Benson