Over the weekend, false rumors about President Donald Trump’s health flooded social media, with many even speculating he had died after not being seen in public for a few days. The speculation quickly went viral, trending under hashtags like #whereistrump and generating hundreds of thousands of posts across X (formerly Twitter) and TikTok.
At the height of the speculation, over 158,000 posts claiming “Trump is dead” and more than 42,000 saying “Trump died” were tracked on X. On TikTok, a viral video questioning his whereabouts gained 3.5 million views, while another video dismissing the rumor attracted 1.7 million views.
To put the speculation to rest, President Trump was photographed on Saturday morning alongside his granddaughter Kai Trump, heading to his motorcade on the South Lawn of the White House. Dressed in a white polo shirt, black pants, and his signature red MAGA hat, he was en route to his Virginia golf course.
White House reporters also confirmed Trump had been interviewed the previous afternoon, making the rumors baseless. Even so, his absence from the public eye for just two days was enough to spark a wave of conspiracy theories.
Some of the speculation stemmed from concerns over Trump’s health, especially after photos earlier this summer showed bruising on his hand. Doctors explained that he has chronic venous insufficiency (CVI), a common and generally non-serious condition, but images circulating online reignited debates.
Vice President JD Vance reassured the public in a recent USA Today interview, saying he was confident in Trump’s health and energy, while noting that speculation about leaders’ health is nothing new in politics.
Analysts have pointed out that these viral rumors reflect a deeper issue: growing mistrust in institutions and the way misinformation spreads rapidly online. Just last year, similar false claims circulated about President Joe Biden, and world leaders like Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping have often been the subject of “death hoax” rumors.
For now, the latest photographs of Trump golfing serve as clear evidence that the president is alive and well, despite what social media chatter might suggest.
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