NCS anchor Jake Tapper known as BS on White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt’s rationalization for the bandages President Donald Trump wears on his arms, saying there’s “something going on with his health that they’re not telling us.”
Health issues about Trump have solely heightened since he was repeatedly photographed with severe bruising on his hand and swollen ankles, adopted by a bout of caginess about his MRI.
When requested concerning the bandages on his arms, Leavitt informed reporters this week that Trump “is literally constantly shaking hands” and takes aspirin day by day.
On Thursday’s edition of NCS’s The Lead, Tapper and NCS contributors David Axelrod and Alyssa Farah Griffin solid doubt on the excuse and known as on the White House to inform “the truth”:
TAPPER: The Press Secretary was additionally requested earlier at this time concerning the bandages we proceed to see on President Trump’s hand. Take a pay attention.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEAVITT: The President is actually continuously shaking arms. The Oval Office is like Grand Central Terminal. He is assembly with extra folks than any of you even find out about every day. He’s additionally on a day by day aspirin routine, which is one thing his bodily examinations has mentioned up to now as effectively, which might contribute to that bruising that we see.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TAPPER: So, David, initially, we haven’t seen bruising like this on the arms of different presidents who additionally presumably shake plenty of arms or senators.
AXELROD: Really extra hand — extra arms on this President.
TAPPER: Yes, effectively, and sure, I imply, and — and to not point out members of the House, members of the Senate. The White House gave the identical rationalization for bruising again in July. Obviously, he’s 79 years previous. And there’s something happening together with his well being that they’re not telling us, as a result of in any other case, why did he have that MRI?
AXELROD: Yes. I imply, look, lack of transparency is a standard theme all through all of those discussions and positively on this. I imply, plenty of extraordinary issues have occurred when the President of the United States has, , an MRI and might’t keep in mind or title what a part of the physique the MRI was about.
There are — there are questions, there are points right here. And the query is whether or not the American folks should know they have been raised relative to President Biden. They must be — they need to be raised now as a result of clearly one thing’s happening.
TAPPER: Yes. And until the president Trump is a self-described germaphobe, he has mentioned he doesn’t like shaking arms. Do you purchase this rationalization?
GRIFFIN: Listen, I do know that the president doesn’t just like the dialogue round this, and I can’t think about that he loves the — the spin from the rostrum at this time. Listen, these questions have been at all times certain to occur. In the matchup of Biden versus Trump, we have been both method going to have the oldest sitting president when he left workplace.
And these questions are going to proceed to canine him. These questions that the general public has about this MRI that he acquired. I believe that there’s going to need to be a greater reply. What occurs with this, we’ve seen it earlier than, is the rumors and the hypothesis should tackle a lifetime of their very own if there’s not some kind of a transparent medical reply.
But I believe we’ve seen sufficient from the primary Trump time period and so far as we’re in now that we’re not going to get an entire lot extra info than what we’ve gotten up to now.
AXELROD: Here’s a greater reply. How concerning the fact? How about details? That could be good.
TAPPER: Yes. And — and clearly, , Biden is — what occurred with Biden is instructive.
Watch above by way of NCS’s The Lead.