Is Donald Trump dead? Rumours about the well-being of the United States president reached a crescendo on social media over the weekend, fuelled by several factors. However, Trump’s golf trip has put all speculations about his “death” to rest.
The 79-year-old president was spotted golfing at his Virginia golf club. With this, Trump’s absence from the public eye ended. But why was the internet wondering about his health?
We will take a look.
Did JD Vance start the rumours?
The rumours about Trump’s death came in the wake of US Vice President JD Vance’s recent remarks about his boss’ health.
In an interview with USA TODAY on Wednesday (August 27), Vance said he was ready to take over the role of commander in chief should anything happen to the president.
However, Vance emphasised that Trump is in good shape. “The president is an incredibly good health,” said the US VP. “He’s got incredible energy.”
Commenting about Trump’s health, Vance said, “He’s the last person making phone calls at night, and he’s the first person who wakes up and the first person making phone calls in the morning.”
“Yes, terrible tragedies happen,” Vance said. “But I feel very confident the president of the United States is in good shape, is going to serve out the remainder of his term and do great things for the American people.
“And if, God forbid, there’s a terrible tragedy, I can’t think of better on-the-job training than what I’ve gotten over the last 200 days,” he added.
The US VP’s comments came just over a year after a bullet grazed Trump’s ear during an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania.
After this interview, and amid Trump’s absence from the public eye for a few days, the speculations about the US president’s well-being took the internet by storm.
“Trump Is Dead” and “Where Is Trump?” started trending on X in the US on Friday (August 29). Several posts flooded the platform, with users conjecturing about the president’s health.
I’m not saying Trump is dead. I’m just saying he hasnt been seen in 3 days, has no public appearances scheduled for the next 3 days, has had swollen ankles, trouble walking, bruises on his hand with vein issues, and his VP said yesterday he’s ready to step in. pic.twitter.com/u2oGXyYbRT
— TechFocus 💹🧲 (@TechFocused) August 30, 2025No major public appearance
With the internet abuzz with speculation about Trump’s well-being, his lack of any major public appearance further fuelled the fire.
The US president was most recently seen during a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday (August 26). He was questioned on various topics, from global conflicts to
Taylor Swift’s engagement to American football player Travis Kelce.
After this, Trump was not spotted in public for three weekdays at the end of August. As per CNN, there were no events on his schedule on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday. It was also announced that the US president would spend his Labor Day weekend in Washington, with no public appearances scheduled.
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The Simpsons ‘prediction’ unearthed
As the internet deluded itself of Trump’s “death”, old remarks of The Simpsons creator Matt Groening on the US president’s demise resurfaced.
Appearing at San Diego Comic-Con to promote the show’s 37th season in July, Groening said he believed the show would keep going until one of the central characters dies, reported Variety.
“I honestly thought 36 was where we were going to end it,” Groening joked. “No, there’s no end in sight. We’re going to keep going. We’re going to go until somebody dies. When you-know-who dies, ‘The Simpsons’ predicts there will be dancing in the streets. Except President Vance will ban dancing.”
The show has an eerie history of forecasts about Donald Trump, including an episode aired in 2000 that showed the Republican leader as president.
Health factors add to the fire
A flurry of social media posts about US President Trump’s health was also set off after a photograph of his bruised hand during the White House Cabinet meeting earlier this week went viral.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt had said that the bruising was due to Trump “shaking hands all day, every day.”
In July, White House physician Sean Barbarella explained in a note that Trump’s bruising was “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.”
At the time, the White House announced Trump had been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency after he was spotted with swelling in his legs.
Barbabella said in the note that it was a “benign and common condition, particularly in individuals over the age of 70.”
The physician assured that Trump “remains in excellent health.”
Concerns about Trump’s health are not unfounded due to his age. He was the oldest US president to be sworn in when he returned to the White House in January.
Trump is alive
The US president has now ended all speculations about his “death”. On Saturday (August 30), Trump was seen getting into a motorcade with his grandchildren Kai Trump and Spencer Trump on the south lawn of the White House in Washington, DC.
He was dressed in a white polo shirt, black pants, and a red “Make America Great Again” hat on the way to his Virginia golf club.
US President Donald Trump loads the motorcade, with granddaughter Kai Trump (L) and grandson Spencer Frederick Trump (R), on the south lawn of the White House in Washington DC, on August 30, 2025. AFP
His motorcade reached the Trump National golf course in Sterling, Virginia, just after 9 am local time (6.30 pm IST), reported People.
However, the internet is not convinced. Some users are now making baseless claims that it was not Trump but his body double who was photographed golfing.
Obviously a body double.
Trump doesn’t have a chin like that
They think we’re stupid. pic.twitter.com/av4Myx8FGz
— Verity Utility (@HugeHugeHug) August 31, 2025
Amid questions about Trump’s well-being, a White House official said Friday that the US president was holding standard policy and staff meetings. He also gave an hour-long interview to the conservative publication Daily Caller, noted CNN.
“He’s very much alive!” Daily Caller White House correspondent Reagan Reese wrote in a post on social media.
With inputs from agencies