False Death Rumours About Trump Flood Social Media Despite His Public Rebuttal

Rumours about Donald Trump’s health ranging from manipulated images to out-of-context photos have flooded social media in recent days, falsely suggesting the former US president was gravely ill or even dead. The claims persisted despite Trump publicly dismissing them at a White House press conference on Tuesday, branding the speculation as “fake news.”

The swirl of misinformation followed the 79-year-old’s noticeable absence from public events last week. According to the watchdog NewsGuard, between Friday and Tuesday, the hashtag “Trump dead” appeared in about 104,000 posts on X, racking up more than 35 million views.

Some users cited supposed road closures near Maryland’s Walter Reed National Military Medical Centre as proof of Trump receiving urgent care. NewsGuard, however, confirmed there were no credible reports of such closures. Others circulated an image of an ambulance outside the White House, claiming it was recent evidence of a health emergency. In reality, the photo dated back to April 2023, during Joe Biden’s presidency.

Another viral claim involved the White House flag at half-staff, which some presented as confirmation of Trump’s death. In fact, the flag had been lowered on Trump’s own orders to honour victims of a Minneapolis school shooting. Still others spread a digitally altered close-up of his face, alleging it revealed signs of a stroke. NewsGuard found the original, blurry photo contained no such detail.

Despite Trump’s own reassurance on Truth Social “NEVER FELT BETTER IN MY LIFE” the rumours carried on across X, Bluesky, and Instagram, largely from anti-Trump accounts. One Bluesky post even falsely claimed the White House had formally announced his death, just moments after his press briefing.

The episode underscores how quickly misinformation thrives in an era of deep political divides and waning trust in institutions. Presidential health has always drawn scrutiny but with Trump, the oldest man ever elected US president and Biden, 82 when he left office in January, the focus has intensified. Biden’s physical and mental fitness became a central theme in the 2024 campaign, ultimately forcing him to abandon his re-election bid after a faltering debate against Trump.