President Donald Trump pushed back against a weekend storm of online speculation about his health, declaring on August 31 that he has “never felt better,” while touting a newly crime-free Washington, D.C.
After a quiet few days out of the public eye, Trump reemerged, posting a characteristically emphatic update from his Virginia golf resort.
“NEVER FELT BETTER IN MY LIFE. Also, DC IS A CRIME FREE ZONE!” the 79-year-old president wrote, days after assuming control of the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department.
Trump’s absence from public view since a Tuesday cabinet meeting, coupled with a blank White House schedule released Friday, ignited a wave of online conspiracy theories.
The hashtag #TrumpIsDead trended on X, with users speculating about the president’s health and even his mortality.
Fuel was added to the fire when Vice President JD Vance told USA Today he was “ready to step in” in the event of “a terrible tragedy,” further stoking unfounded concerns.
Trump Health Rumors
The phrase “Trump is dead” trended on X on Friday and Saturday, generating thousands of posts and memes.
Other tags, including #WhereIsTrump and #TrumpDied, appeared among the platform’s most-discussed topics.
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Many posts cited the president’s lack of public events this weekend as the reason for concern. Others pointed to the absence of new photos or videos since Tuesday.
Some users dismissed the speculation, saying the president could be on personal time. Others treated the trend as a meme, sharing fabricated images of a supposed “Simpsons” episode predicting Trump’s death.
The activity spread to Threads and TikTok, where users either repeated the claims or criticized them as unfounded.
Trump Spotted Leaving White House
Those rumors were swiftly shut down on Saturday, when Trump was spotted leaving the White House in golf attire alongside his granddaughter, Kai Trump.
The pair travelled to Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia, around 10 a.m., quelling much of the speculation.
On Sunday, the president was again seen dressed in black slacks, a black shirt, and a white “USA” baseball cap as he entered a black SUV.
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Despite reassurances, some critics pointed to images showing what appeared to be bruising on Trump’s hands and swelling around his ankles.
In July, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that Trump suffers from chronic venous insufficiency, a condition causing “mild swelling” in the lower legs.
Trump’s weekend away from the spotlight followed a busy week that included a cabinet meeting to “celebrate the victories American workers have experienced over the past eight months,” and a closed-door session with son-in-law Jared Kushner, former U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair, and Israeli official Ron Dermer to discuss post-war plans for Gaza.
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