Former President Donald Trump was spotted with multiple cuts or scrapes on his hands Wednesday, prompting speculation and a profoundly gross hashtag to trend on X.
As of Thursday morning, the hashtag ‘SyphilisDon’ had been posted more than 18,500 times on X, accusing Trump of having the sexually transmitted infection syphilis.
The trend was exacerbated by political strategist and vocal Trump critic James Carville, who claimed during a podcast interview that he had consulted with doctors about “what medical condition manifests itself through hand sores.”
“The answer is immediate and unanimous: secondary syphilis,” Carville said. “All right. I think there’s a good chance this man has the clap and I’m not being particularly secretive about it.”
Trump having syphilis is total speculation at best and there are plenty of other potential explanations for the cuts. But the idea that the former president could be afflicted with the STI riled social media.
“Trump is one nasty ass MF #SyphilisDon,” wrote on X user, whose close-up image of the “TrumpBumps” garnered more than one thousand likes.
“I thought those sores on trump’s hand looked familiar. I guess it’s as they say, politics makes strange bedfellows. #SyphilisDon,” wrote another user posting an image of Trump’s sores next to an image of Steve Bannon with a lesion by his lip.
However, the photo of Bannon—which first circulated in 2017—was photoshopped to add the lesion.
Others used the trending hashtag not to further the conspiracy, but instead to crack a joke or two.
“Looks like #SyphilisDon tried to open a bottle of ketchup all by himself like a big boy,” quipped one person.
“Has anyone in MAGA world suggested that these are crucifixion marks yet? #SyphilisDon,” wrote someone else.
“When Donald Trump talks about having presidential immunity it means he bought some antibiotics #SyphilisDon,” joked another user.
A one-page health report released by Trump’s doctor in November stated that the former president’s “overall health is excellent.”
“It is my opinion that President Donald is currently in excellent health, and with his continued interest in preventative health monitoring and maintenance, he will continue to enjoy a healthy active lifestyle for years to come.”
