You know things are strange when people online start wondering if the president is even alive. That’s the chatter Donald Trump faced after he returned publicly this week. The 79-year-old called reporters into the Oval Office after spending several days out of sight, and the internet quickly started making theories.
Close-up shots of his face fueled the speculation. Some said he looked bloated. Others swore it wasn’t him at all.
For a man who once brushed off talk about Melania’s so-called “body double,” it was a familiar situation. This time, though, the rumors circled around Trump himself, and they spread fast.
The noise grew even louder after paparazzi photos showed him walking with what critics described as a “slower” stride. Trump quickly move the talk aside. On Truth Social, he fired back, “NEVER FELT BETTER IN MY LIFE.”
Fans Fuel The Rumors Around Donald Trump
The conspiracy angle didn’t pop up overnight. Back in June, photos from a NATO summit made people claim Trump looked shorter than usual while standing next to European leaders.
One user insisted, “Obviously not the real one. Not tall enough.”
Another added, “That is not Trump.”
His listed height of 6-foot-3 didn’t help the speculation. Standing near Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Trump seemed smaller than expected. Observers later pointed to posture, footwear, or simple perspective as explanations. But for those already suspicious, it only added to it.
Even some of Trump’s own supporters joined the chatter. A MAGA loyalist compared his absence to Joe Biden’s downtime and blasted the “double standard.” Vice President JD Vance, meanwhile, tried to calm nerves. He told USA Today, “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”
Despite the rumors, Trump appeared calm. Over the weekend, he shifted the conversation toward something he enjoys far more than internet debates: golf. He even bragged on Truth Social about playing a round with former Super Bowl champion coach Jon Gruden.
For now, the theories continue to be on social media. But as we know, Trump will continue turning this into headlines simply by showing his face.
