Trump Alive and Well: Spotted on Golfโ Course After Death Rumors Swirl
West Palm Beach, FL – Donald Trump was seenโข playing golf in Virginia on Saturday, dispelling a flurryโ of online rumors that falsely claimed he had died. Theโข former president’s appearance came after several days without public sightings โsparked widespread โฃspeculation โon social media, fueled by a trending hashtag and significantโฃ engagement with posts suggesting his demise.
The rumors began circulating earlier this week as Trump remained out of the public eye. By Saturdayโ morning, posts about his supposed death hadโ amassed over 1.3 million likes, comments, and shares on X (formerly โTwitter), according to Grok, X’s AI chatbot. The hashtag #whereistrump even became the sixth most popular topic in theโค United States, โas reportedโ by Newsweek.
A post on Trump’s Truth Socialโ account Friday night, tho its authorship was unconfirmed,โข addressedโ a recent appealsโ court decision regarding tariffs, calling โit “highly partisan” and warning against thier removal as a “totalโ disaster” for the U.S.โ economy.
however, it โคwas the image of โtrump with his granddaughter on the golf course that definitively refutedโ theโ claims. “I wakeโ up to see people freaking out that Trump’s sick or dead or something becuase he hasn’t โคbeen seen in a few days,” wrote Daily Caller White House correspondentโ reagan Reese on X Saturday morning.”I was with the president yesterday afternoon. I interviewedโค him โคfor an hour.”
The โขincident highlights a growing trend of misinformation spreading rapidly online.BBC Verify senior journalist Shayan โฃSardarizadehโ noted the parallel with previous false claims, stating, “Last year, someโ right-wing users on X convinced themselves that President Biden had died and the White House wasโ keeping quiet.The exact same thing is now happening with some left-wing influencers on X, who seem to think President Trump โฃis dead and a cover-up is underway.” โคPolitical scientist โIan Bremmer of the Eurasia Group consultancyโ also pointed out similar rumors have previously circulated regarding โคthe healthโข of Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping.
The episode serves as a stark reminder of the speed โคand ease with which false information can proliferate in the digital age.