Donald Trump has finally spoken out after speculation about his health sparked a wave of "Trump is dead" rumors.
The 79-year-old president’s absence from public events, combined with a blank White House schedule released on Friday (August 29), sent social media into overdrive.
Soon, the hashtags “Trump Is Dead” and "Where is Donald Trump" trended on X (formerly known as Twitter), while health-related queries shot to the top of Google searches.
Some users even pointed to Vice President JD Vance’s recent interview, where he acknowledged being prepared to assume the presidency in the event of a “terrible tragedy,” while others recycled conspiracy threads dragging in The Simpsons creator Matt Groening.
Donald Trump addresses the rumors
The rumors were finally put to rest on Sunday (August 31) after Trump took to his Truth Social platform to write: “NEVER FELT BETTER IN MY LIFE. Also, DC IS A CRIME FREE ZONE,” pointing to a sharp drop in violent crime since his administration assumed control of the DC Metropolitan Police Department.
The post came after Trump was photographed on Saturday morning (August 30) playing golf in Virginia alongside his granddaughter, Kai Trump.
Wearing a white polo shirt, black trousers, and his trademark red MAGA hat, the sighting served as visual proof that he is alive and active.
Concerns over Trump’s health, however, have persisted in recent weeks. Last week, his right hand appeared visibly bruised as he signed executive orders in the Oval Office and later during a meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung.
The dark bruise stretched across the back of his hand, and at times, he appeared to cover it with his left.
Trump previously told Time Magazine during an interview last December that the marks came “from shaking hands with thousands of people.”
His physician, Sean Barbabella, has said the bruises are “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,” adding: “This is a well-known and benign side effect of aspirin therapy," per BBC News.
The doctor also disclosed that Trump has chronic venous insufficiency (CVI), a “benign and common condition, particularly in individuals over the age of 70," Forbes reported.
Tests showed no sign of a more serious illness like deep vein thrombosis or arterial disease. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt emphasized: “There have been no adjustments made to his lifestyle.”
Despite questions about his whereabouts, Trump stayed active on social media throughout the weekend, posting dozens of updates.
These included fresh claims that Washington, D.C. is now safe, renewed calls to end mail-in voting, and even a bizarre rant lashing out at a White House Rose Garden worker accused of damaging a piece of stone - accompanied by surveillance footage of the incident.