Why Trump’s ‘death’ rumours may not die down

Trump dead… Until Tuesday (September 2), this was the most discussed topic in the United States until the US president made a televised appearance in the Oval Office to lay to rest rumours of his ‘death’ and also to lay to bed speculation over his ill health.

But even as he spoke on television, boasting of his ‘active life’, many Americans were more focused on how Trump looked rather than what he had to say. Was he wearing more makeup than usual? Were any new bruises visible? Was he steady?

And one can’t blame them after much of social media spent several days declaring Trump on his death bed — or worse.

But why is it that Trump’s health has become fodder for gossip? What’s going on with the American leader?

Trump attempts to quash health rumours

On Tuesday (September 2), after being absent from the public eye for over three days, Trump convened the press to weigh in on his health and dismiss the rumours on his impending death.

The 79-year-old president was asked by Fox News’ Peter Doocy, “How did you find out over the weekend that you were dead?”

Trump responded by saying it was “fake news” and further complained that he had done several news conferences last week “then I didn’t do any for two days and they said ‘there must be something wrong with him’.”

“It’s so fake. ‘Is he ok, how’s he feeling, what’s wrong?’” He also insisted that he had a very busy week, “I did numerous shows, and also did a number of Truths. I think, pretty poignant Truths. I was very active over the weekend.” According to a CNBC report, the US president also had several golf outings at his club in northern Virginia.

“It’s sort of crazy,” he told reporters. “A lot of people know I was very active this Labor Day.”

Later, in a statement, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump “is perfectly fine and has a tremendous amount of energy.”

“The made-up speculation online is crazy and baseless, and it’s clearly being pushed by Democrat activists and left-wing lunatics,” Leavitt told CNN. “(Trump) has been completely transparent about his health with the public, unlike his predecessor, who went weeks without speaking to the media and spent a third of his presidency sleeping on vacation.”

Why the speculation over Trump’s health

Trump’s announcement, which became a trending topic on Google and on social media comes as a result of the American leader’s absence since last Tuesday (August 26) where he hosted a nearly 200-minute marathon Cabinet meeting.

Since then, the rumour mills have been churning with ‘where is Trump’ and ‘Trump dead’ ranking among Google’s top US searches. On TikTok, influencers speculated that the White House was publishing old photos, suggesting that he was being hidden from view. There were multiple Reddit threads, filled with commentary on Trump’s health and on X, posts shared by critics disseminated dubious reports.

On Monday, X was abuzz when images appeared to show someone throwing a trash bag out of a second-floor White House window, seemingly at odds with usual protocol. The videos got millions of views. A White House aide, speaking on condition of anonymity, said a contractor tossed out the bags during regular maintenance at the White House while Trump was away.

However, Trump, on Tuesday, said the windows are sealed, which would contradict that explanation. He said the video was most likely an “AI-generated” fake.

But it’s not just Trump’s ‘absence’ that got the rumour mills churning. Last week, US Vice President JD Vance gave an interview in which he said he was ready to assume the presidency if a “terrible tragedy occurred.” He, however, noted that Trump was in “incredibly good health.”

And it seems that Trump took note of this, as he took to Truth Social last Sunday and wrote, “NEVER FELT BETTER IN MY LIFE.”

US First Lady Melania Trump was also reportedly spotted at the Walter Reed Medical Centre in Maryland, fuelling rumours of Trump’s ‘ill health’. A student had posted on Threads on Saturday that she saw Melania at Walter Reed on Thursday. When asked about the first lady’s alleged tour, a spokesperson for the hospital declined to comment and directed the query to the White House. For those who are unaware, Walter Reed is a medical centre that typically treats US presidents.

Trump’s recent images of bruised hands, sometimes covered up with makeup, and swollen ankles have also added fuel to the fire. In February, the White House said the bruise was the result of Trump’s “constantly working and shaking hands all day every day.” His doctor wrote in July that the US president takes aspirin as part of a “cardiovascular prevention regimen” and that the bruising is a side effect.

In July, the White House also announced that Trump had been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, a common vein condition, which was the reason for his swollen ankles and the bruising on his hand. White House physician Sean Barbabella described the condition in a memo as “benign and common.” He said the marks on his hand were “consistent with minor soft tissue irritation from frequent handshaking.”

However, questions remain over his health as he has been obscure. Moreover, his doctors have not taken questions from reporters in years, and there have been no medical briefings held after an assassination attempt against him in Pennsylvania, last summer.

And even his mental acuity has been called into question owing to some bizarre appearances in the recent past. Who can forget when the US president met European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen in late August?

The US president abruptly switched from discussing immigration to saying this: “The other thing I say to Europe: we’ve – we will not allow a windmill to be built in the United States. They’re killing us. They’re killing the beauty of our scenery.” He then went on speaking about windmills for two minutes, claiming — without any evidence — that windmills drive whales “loco” and that wind energy “kills the birds”.

Scrutiny on US presidents’ health

It’s not a total surprise that Trump’s health has come under intense scrutiny. He is the oldest individual to ever assume the office. Moreover, there has been distrust over his health, as he has tended to not disclose a full picture of health.

There’s also the fact that he has taken office after Joe Biden, whose health and mental acuity came under a cloud of suspicion, eventually resulting in him dropping out of the presidential race last July. In fact, Trump himself had weaponised Biden’s health while campaigning, alleging that Democrats covered up his mental and physical decline. He even alleged that Biden had used an autopen to mask his decline.

And Trump watchers note that it’s ironic that the US president is now having to deal with the same scrutiny over his health.

With inputs from agencies

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