Photo Credit: Getty Images
President Donald Trump has brushed aside a weekend of wild speculation about his health, insisting he is in good shape and very much alive.
On Sunday night, Trump took to Truth Social with a direct message aimed at conspiracy theories about his condition. In an all-caps post, he wrote, "NEVER FELT BETTER IN MY LIFE," responding to chatter that he had been unwell or even deceased. The post linked back to another user's remark that "the media freaks out if Trump disappears for 24 hours," which had compared his schedule to President Joe Biden's.
Speculation had grown after Trump was absent from public view for several days, with critics pointing to photographs of his swollen ankles and bruised hands, as well as the lack of scheduled weekend events. On X, "Trump is dead" briefly trended, while Google searches for "Where is Donald Trump" surged on Saturday. Some observers also cited Vice President JD Vance's recent USA Today interview, in which he said he was prepared for a "terrible tragedy," though he emphasized that Trump was in "incredibly good health."
The rumours were put to rest when Trump was spotted with his grandchildren boarding a motorcade to Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia. He later posted a photo of himself on the course with former NFL coach Jon Gruden, captioning it: "Great playing Golf with Jon Gruden — A really nice guy, and true character!"
Throughout the weekend, Trump appeared eager to drown out speculation. He launched into a posting spree on Truth Social, sharing more than 40 updates in a span of hours. His feed ranged from calls for "Voter I.D. ... with NO EXCEPTIONS!" to a Labor Day message declaring "A big year ahead for the USA, maybe the BEST EVER, if the Tariffs are finally approved by the courts!!!" He also weighed in on crime in Washington, D.C., declaring the capital a "crime free zone" after deploying the National Guard earlier this month.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt previously disclosed that Trump, 79, has chronic venous insufficiency, a common circulatory condition, but stressed tests showed "no evidence of deep vein thrombosis or arterial disease." Despite online claims, both his aides and his own words point to a president determined to project strength.
