Viewers have made a concerning observation about Donald Trump's appearance after the president dismissed the "Trump is dead" rumors.
Online rumors about the 79-year-old’s health and whereabouts, including the hashtag #whereistrump, gained traction over the Labor Day weekend, prompting the president to address the speculation directly during a press conference on Tuesday (September 2).
"I have heard it's sort of crazy, but last week I did numerous news conferences, all successful," he said.
"They went very well, like this is going very well, and then I didn't do any for two days, and they said there must be something wrong with him."
He then took a jab at former political rival Joe Biden: "Biden wouldn't do them for months.
"You wouldn't see him, and nobody said anything."
Despite Trump's efforts to quell the rumors, pictures from the conference have triggered a fresh wave of online speculation.
Viewers noticed a strange lump and a bizarre fold in the arm of his suit.
One user on X wrote: "Strange. Fabric doesn't normally fall like that across an arm."
While some suggested it was a padded suit, the original poster refuted this, showing examples of padded suits and stating: "Neither of these things have to do with how a sleeve falls."
Another person wondered why "such a wealthy man not have well-tailored suits?"
A third suspected that the lump was from someone holding the president steady.
The ongoing speculation is compounded by the two-time president's recently disclosed medical condition.
Back in July, Trump's physician, Sean Barbabella, confirmed that the president has chronic venous insufficiency (CVI), a condition causing leg swelling and visible bruising - as seen on Trump's right hand.
The doctor added that 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.
While Barbabella described the diagnosis as "benign," a health expert, Dr. Mimmie Kwong, associate professor of vascular surgery at the University of California, warned that CVI can be serious if left untreated.
According to The Mirror, Dr. Kwong explained that CVI is a common condition where veins, typically in the legs or arms, struggle to return blood to the heart. "When they don't work well, the blood gets stuck. This can cause pain, swelling, throbbing, aching, and in the most extreme cases, wounds or limb loss," she said.
She also noted that as the swelling worsens, it can lead to skin changes and unhealing wounds, which "if they get worse, it could lead to amputations".
The White House has previously attributed bruising on the back of Trump's hand to irritation from frequent handshakes and his daily use of medication for cardiovascular health.
They also disclosed that tests showed no sign of a more serious illness like deep vein thrombosis or arterial disease, and according to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt: “There have been no adjustments made to [Trump's] lifestyle.”