Why did Trump wear gloves to greet China’s Xi Jinping at Joint Base Andrews?

On Wednesday evening, US President Donald Trump made a rare personal appearance at Joint Base Andrews to greet Chinese President Xi Jinping upon his arrival in Washington for the first US state visit in over a decade. Despite the pleasant 19 degrees Celsius (66 Fahrenheit) weather at the airbase, Trump was the only one to wear a dark overcoat and gloves.

The gloves, removed for handshakes with Xi, Peng Liyuan, and others, drew online attention as social media users speculated about their purpose. Some wondered if the gloves were meant to hide bruising on Trump's hands, a detail pointed out multiple times by users. Earlier this week, images of Trump from a campaign event for the November midterms once again drew public attention to the hand bruising, with the marks appearing different from past sightings.

Trump has previously explained the bruising, attributing it to a bump on a table and his frequent handshaking, as well as his regular use of aspirin for cardiovascular prevention. The latest bruising, however, differed in appearance, with mottled clusters of dark purple and blue patches.