President Donald Trump shuts down false death rumours
On August 30, US President Donald Trump shut down social media rumours that he had died by sharing a photo of himself playing golf with Jon Gruden on the Republican politician's Truth Social platform.
US President Donald Trump has quashed rumours that he has died.
On August 29, social media exploded with thousands of unverified claims that the 79-year-old Commander-in-Chief had passed away after he had been out of the public eye for two days - with hashtags #whereistrump and #TRUMPDIED being used in posts.
But the following day, President Trump took to his Truth Social platform to share a photo of himself playing golf with American football coach Jon Gruden, 62, at the Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia.
The Republican politician captioned the post with: "Great playing Golf with Jon Gruden - A really nice guy, and true character! (sic)"
The rumours about President Trump's death intensified when the conspiracy theorists pointed out that he had no events scheduled for this weekend - which is unusual because President Trump typically makes some form of public appearances.
Neither the White House nor President Trump have commented on the rumours about his death.
On August 27, Vice President JD Vance, 41, added fuel to the fire by saying that he was ready to assume the position of Commander-in-Chief if a "terrible tragedy" occurred.
During an interview with USA Today discussing his first 200 days as Vice President, he said: "Yes, terrible tragedies happen, 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."
Mr. Vance also insisted that President Trump - whose upper right ear was injured by a bullet fired by a 20-year-old gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July 2024 - is “the last person making phone calls at night, and the first in the morning”.
False rumours about President Trump's health came after he had regularly been photographed with what appears to be a bruise on his right hand - often covered up with makeup - which The White House insists is due to the frequent handshaking he does.
A spokesperson said earlier in 2025: "President Trump is a man of the people, and he meets more Americans and shakes their hands on a daily basis more than any other president in history.
"His commitment is unwavering, and he proves that every single day."
