'Haven't seen, fake news': Trump responds to social media speculation on his health

US President Donald Trump dismissed viral rumours of his death, saying he was unaware of the false reports that spread on social media during his brief absence from the public eye.

“I didn’t hear that one,” the US president said when asked about the claims at a White House press conference.

“I have heard, it’s sort of crazy. But last week I did numerous news conferences. All successful, they went very well, like this is going very well and then I didn’t do any for two days and they said, ‘there must be something wrong with him,’” Trump said.

President Donald Trump called the rumors circulating online about his death "crazy," saying he was "very active" over the holiday weekend.

"It's so fake. That's why the media has so little credibility," he said Tuesday during a news conference in the Oval Office.

Trump's… pic.twitter.com/Ypmvmjhehj

— PBS News (@NewsHour) September 2, 2025

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“Biden wouldn’t do them for months, you wouldn’t see them, and nobody ever said there was ever anything wrong with him and he wasn’t in the greatest of shape,” he added, as Vice President JD Vance and Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.) laughed beside him. “That’s pretty serious.”

The speculation spread rapidly online over the Labor Day weekend, with hashtags like #trumpdead and #whereistrump trending. The baseless claims were fuelled by his week-long break from public appearances and photos showing his bruised hands and swollen ankles.

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On Sunday night, Trump posted on Truth Social that he had “NEVER FELT BETTER IN MY LIFE.” By Tuesday, he acknowledged the chatter about his health, but when asked by a Fox News reporter how he discovered he had been declared dead online, he replied: “I didn’t hear it to that extent.”