Donald Trump has been seen in Washington, D.C., with members of his family following a wave of false rumors that claimed he had died.
The speculation, which spread widely online on Friday, was fuelled by the fact that the president had not been seen in public for two days and had no events listed on his schedule. Trump, who has recently faced questions about his health, appeared on the South Lawn of the White House on Saturday with his granddaughter Kai as they prepared to head to his golf club in Sterling, Virginia.
In recent weeks, attention has turned to the former president’s health after images showed a visible bruise on his hand, which some suggested had been concealed with makeup. He has also been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, a condition that affects circulation in the legs. Despite this, his aides insist he remains in good health.
CNN journalist Barak Ravid was among those to dismiss the speculation on Saturday morning, writing on social media: “A U.S. official tells me: Trump is OK. Will play golf this morning.”
The claims about Trump’s health began on social media, where users pointed to his absence from public view as a reason to believe something had happened. A theory shared on Reddit linked the speculation to activity at pizzerias near the Pentagon. The idea stems from a long-running online theory that unusual spikes in pizza orders near the Defense Department signal national security events.
While some restaurants in the area did appear to be busier than usual on Friday, one account tracking the activity urged caution, saying there was no evidence the traffic was linked to anything significant.
Adding to the speculation were comments made by Vice President JD Vance during an interview with USA Today. While stressing that Trump was in good health and remained highly energetic in office, Vance also remarked that “terrible tragedies happen,” a phrase that many online interpreted as oddly timed given the rumors.
“I’ve had a lot of on-the-job training in the last 200 days, but the president is in incredibly good health. He’s got incredible energy,” Vance said. “While most of the people who work around the president of the United States are younger than he is, we find that he’s actually the last person to go to sleep, the last person making phone calls at night, and the first person up in the morning.”
His comments sparked debate on social media, with some describing the remarks as “ominous” and suggesting they may have unintentionally added fuel to the speculation.
For now, the president appears determined to show business as usual. His Saturday outing with family, followed by a round of golf, was widely seen as a direct response to the extraordinary online rumors.
