Bulwark Takes Podcast Summary

Episode: Does Trump’s Bruised Hand Story Make Sense?
Date: December 26, 2025
Hosts: Sam Stein and Jared Polin

Episode Overview

In this lighthearted and investigative episode, hosts Sam Stein and Jared Polin tackle the curious story behind former President Donald Trump’s repeatedly bandaged and bruised hand. Drawing on a viral press briefing explanation—that Trump’s perpetual handshaking, coupled with a daily aspirin regimen, causes the bruising—the Bulwark team decides to test the theory themselves. Jared volunteers as the "experiment subject," shaking over three hundred hands outside the White House to see if his hand would bruise, as Trump’s reportedly does.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The "Bruised Hand" Press Narrative and Experiment Inspiration

• The origins: Caroline Levitt (Trump’s press secretary) explained Trump’s bruised hand as the result of frequent handshaking and aspirin use.
• Sam and Jared find this explanation “testable” and design a DIY experiment to see if it holds up.
• Sam Stein [01:53]:

  "And I had this idea in my head, well, that seems testable. Like, we can actually figure out... what it's like to shake a lot of hands and take aspirin, and we can decide based on the results if she's telling the truth or not."

2. Planning the Handshake Experiment

• Sam initially proposes shaking hands for 5-8 hours; Jared negotiates it down to a more reasonable 3 hours.
• Jared’s background in street canvassing (fundraising for ACLU) helps strategize maximizing handshakes.
• He creates a sign reading: "Please shake my hand. I have three hours to shake as many hands as possible."
• Strategically sets up by the White House during a Christmas party for higher "foot traffic."
• Jared Polin [04:20]:

  "I made a sign that said, please shake my hand. I have three hours to shake as many hands as possible. And I set that up beside me."

3. Jared’s Handshake Experience

• Recaps the variety of handshakers, from curious partygoers to a Boy Scout troop and repeat-shaking jokesters.
• The weather: Cold, around 40°F and dropping, adding discomfort to the experience.
• Hygiene: Keeps hand sanitizer nearby, which reassures participants.
• Jared Polin [05:51]:

  "It was cold. It was like 40 degrees out. I think at one point I was like, I can't feel my toes, Sam Stein... But, like, getting to meet people out in the street, just, like, having a conversation with them. It's not bad. Like, I enjoyed it."

4. The Scientific Test

• Jared records 315 handshakes in 3 hours on camera, with a few additional off-camera.
• Takes an aspirin beforehand to match Trump’s reported regimen.
• Video recap shows Jared soliciting handshakes, marking progress, and reporting on hand condition.
• Jared Polin [07:45]:

  "I bought some bare aspirin. I'm gonna take one, shake a bunch of hands, and we're gonna do a before and after and see if my hand gets bruised the same way his does."

5. The Results

• Soreness sets in post-experiment, but absolutely no bruising observed.
• Jared concedes differences in age and daily repetition could matter, but for a healthy adult, handshaking plus aspirin doesn’t create visible bruising in one sitting.
• Jared Polin [08:48]:

  "Yeah, in the hours after it started to hurt. But the next morning it was genuinely sore. No bruising."

• Both agree it's "plausible," not proven, and may depend on frequency, age, or other variables.

6. How Many Hands Does Trump Really Shake?

• Debate on realistic daily handshake counts for Trump: holiday party photo lines might mean hundreds, but day-to-day far fewer.
• Both reflect on Trump's well-known germaphobia.
• Sam Stein [09:38]:

  "What would you put a guess at for how many hands the guy shakes in the course of a day?... It's got to be less than 50 in just a normal day, not a rally."

7. Reflections on Gimmick Journalism

• Sam reminisces about having reporters try "living like Trump" for a story—ultimately nixed by a spooked reporter after consulting a nutritionist.
• Jared is open to future stunts:

  "Feel free. I'm down to try the crazy ideas." [12:36]

• Sam invites listeners to send in ideas for more social experiments, promising not to risk "serious physical harm."

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Sam Stein [02:30]:

  "[The White House has] been pretty cagey, right? ...Caroline has kind of just beat around the bush on the question."

• Jared Polin [05:11]:

  "There was these two guys... and they asked if I could take multiple handshakes. ...So like 15 of the 315 we did were just these same guys."

• Jared Polin [07:00]:

  "315 on camera. There was a couple I got off camera..., but 315 on camera? Yeah."

• Jared Polin [09:26]:

  "I used to watch Mythbusters a lot growing up, and they would say it was plausible."

• Jared Polin [11:12]:

  "This is a great way to spend my Saturday... I had fun doing it, just getting to meet people, talk to them. It was a fun experiment."

• Sam Stein [12:40]:

  "If you have a good gimmick story idea for Jared to tackle, nothing crazy, we're not, we don't want to risk physical harm, maybe a little bit, but drop it in the comments, we'll take a look..."

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [02:13] — Introduction of Trump's Bruised Hand and Press Briefings
• [03:58] — Jared’s Handshake Strategy and Setup
• [05:11] — Funny interactions and responses from the public
• [07:12] — Start of compressed “handshake experiment” video recap
• [08:48] — Immediate and next-morning effects: soreness but no visible bruising
• [09:21] — Analysis: Could regular handshaking bruise a hand? “Plausible, not proven”
• [09:56] — Estimating how many hands Trump actually shakes
• [11:12] — Reflections on the experiment and willingness for future attempts
• [12:40] — Call for listener ideas for future gimmick-journalism projects

Conclusion

This episode delivers a blend of skepticism, humor, and DIY journalism as Bulwark’s team probes a viral White House explanation. After a fun field test, the podcast finds little evidence to support the claim that a single day of heavy handshaking (even with aspirin) would visibly bruise a healthy adult’s hand, though frequent repetition for older individuals isn’t ruled out. The episode is anchored by playful banter, a hands-on approach, and an open invitation for future audience-inspired stunts.