WASHINGTON: Pres­ident Donald Trump blamed aspirin for large bruises on his hand and denied falling asleep while attending public meetings, in an interview with The Wall Street Journal published on Thursday. In the interview defending his health, the US leader also changed his previous statement about receiving an MRI scan in October, saying it was instead a quicker CT scan. Trump, who at 79 is the oldest person to assume the US presidency, told the Journal “my health is perfect” and expressed frustration with scrutiny of his well-being. Trump has based much of his political image on projecting vigour whether through his frequent interactions with journalists, constant social media posting, or AI memes depicting him as a superhero. However, the first year of his second term in office has raised growing questions. His right hand shows persistent bruising, often covered with thick makeup and at times a bandage, and his ankles have appeared swollen. On occasion, Trump has clearly struggled to keep his eyes open, including during a televised Oval Office meeting with health representatives in November, a politically sensitive issue for someone who constantly frames his Democratic predecessor Joe Biden as “sleepy”. Bruising and ‘blinking’ The Republican explained the bruising on his hand as the result of aspirin that he takes daily to thin his blood. “I don’t want thick blood pouring through my heart,” he told the Journal. He said he applies makeup or bandages when his hand is “whacked”. One cut, he said, was caused when his attorney general Pam Bondi hit the back of his hand with her ring while giving him a high-five. Explanations of his health issues have been inconsistent. Trump himself told reporters that he underwent an MRI scan in October, but said at the time he had “no idea what they analysed”. To the Journal , Trump said it was not an MRI, “it was less than that. It was a scan”. Trump’s doctor, Sean Barbabella, confirmed to the newspaper that a CT scan a procedure that takes far less time than an MRI was done “to definitively rule out any cardiovascular issues”. Published in Dawn, January 2nd, 2026