Online speculation about US President Donald Trump’s death surged this week after a brief absence from public view, frustrating critics who spread the false claims.
The rumors gained momentum following a quiet week from the president, who had not made any public appearances since a cabinet meeting on Tuesday. A blank White House schedule released Friday, with no public events listed for the Labor Day weekend, further fueled the speculation.
The hashtags “#TrumpIsDead” and “#WhereIsTrump” trended on X throughout Friday night into Saturday morning as conspiracy theories spread across social media.
However, those rumours were put to rest Saturday morning when Trump was seen alive and well at the White House. He was photographed at about 8:45 a.m. wearing a white polo shirt, black pants, and a red MAGA hat, accompanied by his granddaughter, Kai Trump, as they prepared to head to his golf club in Sterling, Virginia.
Though he wasn’t seen by White House reporters on Friday, Trump had posted earlier on Truth Social, responding to a federal appeals court ruling that challenged his trade policies.
TRUMP POSTS ON TRUTH SOCIAL ABOUT TARIFFS, ENDS DEATH SPECULATION
“ALL TARIFFS ARE STILL IN EFFECT! Today a Highly Partisan Appeals Court incorrectly said that our Tariffs should be removed, but they know the United States of America will win in the end,” Trump wrote. “If these Tariffs ever went away, it would be a total disaster for the Country. It would make us financially weak, and we have to be strong.”
Daily Caller White House correspondent Reagan Reese also pushed back on the rumors, posting on X, “I wake up to see people freaking out that Trump’s sick or dead or something because he hasn’t been seen in a few days. I was with the president yesterday afternoon. I interviewed him for an hour.”
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With inputs from agencies