Ellie Abraham
Jan 18, 2024
MSNBC
The state of Donald Trump’s mysteriously marked red hands have sparked a new conspiracy and it might make your stomach turn.
Controversial former president Trump has re-emerged in the political arena recently in his bid to become re-elected into the top job. At a campaign rally he left people baffled by suggesting that sick people should still go and vote for him because “even if you vote and then pass away, it's worth it”.
On 17 January, while leaving Trump Tower to attend court in New York for one of his many lawsuits, Trump waved to reporters and photographers who captured some strange red marks on his right hand.
In the images, red marks could be seen on Trump’s thumb, palm and index finger, which sparked plenty of discussion.
One of the more vomit-inducing theories was put forward by James Carville, a former adviser to Bill Clinton. Speaking in a video on Politicon’s YouTube channel, Carville claimed he believes the red marks are an indication that the former president has syphilis.
Does Trump Have Syphilis?www.youtube.com
The Mayo Clinic describes syphilis as “an infection caused by bacteria. Most often, it spreads through sexual contact. The disease starts as a sore that’s often painless and typically appears on the genitals, rectum or mouth”.
In the video, Carville elaborated on his unverified claim, explaining: “They don't look like cuts to me. They look like sores. And I’ve asked a number of MDs (medical doctors), what medical condition manifests itself through hand sores and the answer is immediate and unanimous - secondary syphilis.”
Getty Images
The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) says that during secondary syphilis, a “rash can show up when your primary sore is healing or several weeks after the sore has healed. The rash can be on the palms of your hands and/or the bottoms of your feet”.
There is no evidence to suggest Trump has syphilis, but Carville appeared convinced, suggesting: “I think there's a good chance this man has [syphilis]. I'm not being particularly secretive about it.” But, he did also concede: “Maybe the picture was doctored or whatever.”
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