Donald Trump Reacts to Viral Death Rumors During Live Oval Office Event

President Donald Trump has offered his first in-person comments about the viral rumors that his health is failing.

During a press conference on Tuesday, Sept. 2, Trump, 79, was asked by a reporter whether he was aware that many social media users thought he died last week.

“No,” he replied. “Really? I didn’t see that.”

The president went on to say that he knew people were questioning whether he was ill because he sees “reports,” but claimed he didn’t know about the now-debunked conspiracy theory that he died.

“That’s pretty serious stuff,” he added. “I knew they were saying, like, ‘Is he okay? How’s he feeling?’ … I had heard that, but I didn’t hear that to that extent.”

Trump then blamed the conspiracy theory on “fake news” and blamed the media for spreading it, although the theory arose organically from social media users and was never treated as fact by major news outlets.

Rumors about Trump’s health dominated the internet conversation over Labor Day weekend, days after the president was spotted with a large bruise on his hand. On Friday, Aug. 29, “Trump Is Dead” and “Where Is Trump?” even began trending on X.

Social media sleuths pointed to Trump’s cleared schedule over the weekend, as well as Vice President JD Vance‘s recent interview with USA Today, where he spoke about being prepared to step in if anything should happen to the president.

“Yes, terrible tragedies happen. But I feel very confident the president of the United States is in good shape, is going to serve out the remainder of his term and do great things for the American people,” Vance, 41, told the outlet.

“And if, God forbid, there’s a terrible tragedy, I can’t think of better on-the-job training than what I’ve gotten over the last 200 days,” he added.

Trump was not seen in public for multiple days in a row last week, which added more fuel to the otherwise unfounded theory that he was gravely ill.

After false claims of Trump’s death had already swarmed the internet, the president stepped out on Saturday and shut down the rumors. The White House press pool documented his excursion from the White House to the Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Va., and snapped a photograph.

Trump visited the golf course again on Monday, with the White House press pool reporting that he stayed at the club for around five and a half hours before returning home.

Even since his public sightings, rumors about the president’s health have persisted, with many still insisting that he could have suffered from an undisclosed medical episode during his days out of the spotlight.

The president’s second-eldest son, Eric, 41, slammed the death rumors about his father on social media, reposting one message that quoted the president as saying, “I’ve never felt better in my life,” and adding his own commentary: “The radical left is so sick and twisted…”

Concerns about Trump’s health have been raised multiple times in recent months, largely due to a reoccurring bruise on his hand that was, until recently, concealed by makeup.

After the bruise was first spotted beneath makeup several months back, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the reason for the bruising was due to Trump “shaking hands all day, every day.”

White House physician Sean Barbarella shared a note in July that elaborated on the president’s bruising, saying it is “consistent with minor soft tissue irritation from frequent handshaking and the use of aspirin, which is taken as part of a standard cardiovascular prevention regimen.”

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In July, Trump was diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency after he was seen with what appeared to be swollen ankles. Barbabella said in a note at the time that it was a “benign and common condition, particularly in individuals over the age of 70.”

The physician insisted at the time that despite Trump’s diagnosis, he “remains in excellent health.”