False claims suggesting that former US President Donald Trump is seriously ill — or even dead — spread rapidly across social media platforms in recent days, fueled by manipulated images, old photos, and misleading narratives.
At a White House press conference on Tuesday, Trump, 79, addressed the speculation head-on, calling the rumours about his health “fake news” and stressing that he is in good condition. His remarks came after a week of noticeable absence from public events, which had fueled online chatter.
According to data from misinformation watchdog NewsGuard, the hashtag #TrumpDead appeared in about 104,000 posts on X (formerly Twitter) since Friday, generating more than 35 million views.
Many of the claims relied on misleading visuals. Some users cited supposed road closures near Maryland’s Walter Reed National Military Medical Center as evidence Trump was undergoing treatment. However, no credible reports of roadblocks were found.
Others shared an ambulance photo outside the White House, presenting it as recent evidence of a medical crisis. In reality, the image was from April 2023 — during Joe Biden’s presidency. Similarly, claims based on the White House flag flying at half-staff were debunked; Trump himself had ordered flags lowered last week to honour victims of a school shooting in Minneapolis.
Another viral claim used a digitally enhanced image of Trump’s face, alleging signs of a stroke. NewsGuard confirmed that the original photo showed no such detail and was artificially altered using AI tools.
Despite Trump’s repeated reassurances — including a weekend post on Truth Social stating, “NEVER FELT BETTER IN MY LIFE” — misinformation continued to circulate. Shortly after Tuesday’s press conference, a Bluesky account falsely claimed the White House had announced Trump’s death.
The wave of speculation underscores the growing challenge of misinformation online, where falsehoods often spread faster than official clarifications. Presidential health has long been a subject of scrutiny, but with Trump and his predecessor Joe Biden representing the oldest occupants of the office, public attention remains heightened.
Trump, the oldest person ever elected to the presidency, has frequently accused Democrats of concealing Biden’s physical and mental decline. Biden, 82, ultimately ended his 2024 re-election bid after a poor debate performance against Trump.
