Former congressman and political commentator Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) said Thursday the White House's swift statement on President Donald Trump’s swollen legs and bruised hands, issued after viral photos circulated, reflects more than a medical update and shows how deeply he cares about his physical appearance.
During a segment on CNN, Kinzinger told host Kasie Hunt, “So the president very much cares about physical appearance … when he sees kind of a gross picture of himself with swollen legs and, you know, that close‑up of his hand, it really bothers him."
He continued: "And remember, he always gets upset when people say he has small hands. And so the physical traits to him matter a lot. And my guess is he was stewing over Twitter and he wanted them to put out a statement because he’s like, you know, we have to explain these pictures.”
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Democratic strategist Adrienne Elrod echoed Kinzinger’s assessment, saying she agrees with his view and noting, “he probably was embarrassed by having swollen ankles and puffy hands, and people kept asking him about it."
She added: "But we don’t know how much of this is actually the truth or how much of this is part of the truth?”
Hunt raised the possibility that the statement was an attempt to downplay the situation, questioning whether it was a response to internet conspiracy theories. "Apparently, this has become an internet conspiracy theory, an attempt to just say it's not as bad as it looks."
CNN contributor Lulu Garcia‑Navarro noted that “we should always be concerned when the president has an illness. I want to encourage, as a journalist, transparency as to his health."
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"We really never know if we are being told the whole story when it is to do with his health. And so I think that is the lingering question here," she added.
Earlier Thursday, the White House announced that Trump, 79, has been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency (CVI), a common and benign circulatory condition. The announcement followed rrecent concerns over visible swelling in his legs and bruising on his hands.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated during a press briefing Thursday that the president underwent a comprehensive examination, including diagnostic vascular studies and bilateral lower extremity venous Doppler ultrasounds, which revealed CVI. She emphasized that there was no evidence of deep vein thrombosis or arterial disease.
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