Trump Alive and Well: Spotted on Golf Course After Death Rumors Swirl
West Palm Beach, FL – Donald Trump was seen playing golf in Virginia on Saturday, dispelling a flurry of online rumors that falsely claimed he had died. The former president’s appearance came after several days without public sightings sparked widespread speculation on social media, fueled by a trending hashtag and significant engagement with posts suggesting his demise.
The rumors began circulating earlier this week as Trump remained out of the public eye. By Saturday morning, posts about his supposed death had amassed over 1.3 million likes, comments, and shares on X (formerly Twitter), according to Grok, X’s AI chatbot. The hashtag #whereistrump even became the sixth most popular topic in the United States, as reported by Newsweek.
A post on Trump’s Truth Social account Friday night, tho its authorship was unconfirmed, addressed a recent appeals court decision regarding tariffs, calling it “highly partisan” and warning against thier removal as a “total disaster” for the U.S. economy.
however, it was the image of trump with his granddaughter on the golf course that definitively refuted the claims. “I wake up to see people freaking out that Trump’s sick or dead or something becuase he hasn’t been seen in a few days,” wrote Daily Caller White House correspondent reagan Reese on X Saturday morning.”I was with the president yesterday afternoon. I interviewed him for an hour.”
The incident highlights a growing trend of misinformation spreading rapidly online.BBC Verify senior journalist Shayan Sardarizadeh noted the parallel with previous false claims, stating, “Last year, some right-wing users on X convinced themselves that President Biden had died and the White House was keeping quiet.The exact same thing is now happening with some left-wing influencers on X, who seem to think President Trump is dead and a cover-up is underway.” Political scientist Ian Bremmer of the Eurasia Group consultancy also pointed out similar rumors have previously circulated regarding the health of Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping.
The episode serves as a stark reminder of the speed and ease with which false information can proliferate in the digital age.