Donald Trump had a tense exchange with a White House staffer inside the Oval Office on Monday, Aug. 25.
During remarks at an executive order signing ceremony, the president, 79, abruptly asked one of his own staff members to leave the room after a disruption interrupted his comments.
The moment occurred while Trump was responding to a reporter’s question about his decision to purchase a portion of Intel for the U.S. government. Mid-sentence, he paused to address the distraction.
“As you know the stock market went up almost a thousand points on Friday and it went up not because of…” Trump began, before stopping.
“Hello, who is that?” he asked, as the sound of a phone cut through the room. “Who is that back there? Alright, get out of the room.”
Some in attendance laughed, but Trump remained serious as a door closed behind the dismissed staffer.
According to Daily Mail, the individual asked to leave was White House staff secretary Will Scharf, who helps oversee executive orders, though footage of the event does not make it entirely clear.
Later that day, Daily Beast reported that Trump appeared to be concealing a bruise on his hand while signing the orders. Observers have noted similar markings in the past, often covered with makeup.
Back in July, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt explained the bruising in a statement, saying it was “consistent with minor soft tissue irritation from frequent handshaking and the use of aspirin, which is taken as part of a standard cardiovascular prevention regimen.”
