I’m out today at Public Notice with a look at the obvious lie about the bandages on Trump’s hands — a coverup of some unidentified health problem — and how it’s part of a pattern of Trump’s endless lies starting to catch up to him in the face of reality, economic and otherwise. Today’s post will be brief but I have something longer coming later this week that deals with the downward flow of corruption and viciousness, and how it’s affecting the efficacy of our democracy. That will be my last piece for the year. To thank all of my subscribers for their support throughout this very newsy year, I’m offering a discount of 20 percent off subscriptions to American Doom through the second week of January. Now, onto the news on Trump’s health below, as well as some links to stories you might have missed in a tumultuous 2025…

Whatever happens during President Donald Trump’s address to the nation tonight, know that it will be partly an attempt to distort reality or distract from it — and that reality is that it has been a disastrous end to the first year of Trump’s second presidency.

Epstein, the economy, extrajudicial killings — how’s that for just some of the scandals that are roiling the Trump administration as it limps out of 2025 and into 2026. Hanging over all of it is the president’s health.

A few weeks back I began asking the White House why Trump wears bandages on the back of his right hand. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt responded last week — with an obvious lie.

“President Trump is a man of the people and he meets more Americans and shakes their hands on a daily basis than any other President in history,” Leavitt said in a statement. “His commitment is unwavering and he proves that every single day.”

Why is this so obviously a lie? Well, there’s common sense, for one: have you ever known a single person to injure their hand from handshaking? I haven’t. There’s a few other reasons why this lie is so obvious and ridiculous, not the least of which is the fact that Trump has had fewer public events this year than any other year as president. Now, he plans to get back out on the road next year to whip up support for Republicans in the mid-term elections, which they’re of course trying to rig in their favor.

To prepare for the exhausting prospect of campaign-style Trump rallies, I’ll be taking as much time off as possible over the holidays. This year really has flown by. Like 2024, 2025 was incredibly newsy and we’ve grown quite a lot here at American Doom. Really, these two years have sort of melded together in my mind. There hasn’t been much of a break, so I’m looking forward to taking one.

The only reason I’m able to do that is thanks to the support of my paid subscribers. To join those ranks, please consider a paid subscription to American Doom. Believe it or not, next year is going to be even crazier, and American Doom is one of the only publications keeping a close eye on state and local threats to elections. That’s where the rubber meets the road for our democracy, and you’ll want to pay attention to stay in-the-know about how Republicans are working hard to rig the mid-term elections in their favor.

Before my last dispatch of the year later this week, take a look at some of the greatest hits from 2025.

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What the White House told me about Trump's hands