Rumours of President Donald Trump’s death spiralled across social media late Friday, only to be disproved hours later when the president was seen leaving the White House alive and well on Saturday morning.
Trump, dressed in a white polo shirt, black trousers, and his trademark red “Make America Great Again” hat, was photographed around 8:45 a.m. alongside his granddaughter Kai Trump. The pair boarded a motorcade headed to Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia, according to AFP photographers at the scene.
How the Rumours Started
Speculation erupted after the White House released a blank presidential schedule for the Labour Day weekend, leaving critics and supporters alike questioning the president’s whereabouts. The pause in public appearances came four days after Trump’s last on-camera event, a Cabinet meeting held on Tuesday.
By Friday night, hashtags such as “#TrumpIsDead” and “#WhereIsTrump” were trending on X (formerly Twitter), with political opponents seizing the moment. Rick Wilson of the Lincoln Project mocked the frenzy, writing, “Waking up to #TrumpIsDead and #WhereIsTrump reminds me that JD ‘Popekiller’ Vance has been spending a lot of time around Don lately,” referencing Vice President Vance and an earlier papal death.
Trump Responds Online
While he remained physically out of sight Friday, Trump took to Truth Social, where he posted angrily about a federal appeals court ruling that deemed parts of his tariff policy illegal. “ALL TARIFFS ARE STILL IN EFFECT!” he wrote, dismissing the ruling as partisan and insisting that removing tariffs would be “a total disaster” for the country.
The bizarre speculation drew both mockery and concern. Critics on the left accused the White House of secrecy, while Trump supporters pointed to the rumours as yet another example of “fake news” targeting the president.
Saturday’s images, Trump walking briskly across the South Lawn, granddaughter at his side, quickly circulated online, putting an end to the short-lived conspiracy.
