President Donald Trump became the center of a viral storm over the weekend after tens of thousands of posts on X falsely claimed the 79-year-old president had died. The phrase “Trump is dead” appeared in more than 90,000 posts, fueled by Trump’s recent absence from public events, ongoing questions about his health, and cryptic commentary from his political allies.

The White House quickly sought to stamp out the rumors, calling them baseless and insisting that Trump remains in “excellent health and fit to serve.” On Saturday, cameras captured the president walking on a golf course with family members and Secret Service agents, looking healthy and energetic — widely seen as a staged rebuttal to the frenzy.

Vice President JD Vance inadvertently fanned the flames earlier in the week when he told USA Today he was prepared to step in if a “terrible tragedy” struck the president. But Vance insisted Trump remains vigorous, describing him as “the last person making phone calls at night, and the first in the morning.”

“Yes, terrible tragedies happen,” Vance said. “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.”

Speculation around Trump’s condition is not new. Last month, the White House disclosed that he had been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency after tests on swelling in his legs. Officials also acknowledged that heavy makeup on his right hand in July concealed a bruise attributed to minor soft-tissue irritation caused by frequent handshakes and aspirin use.

Those disclosures added fuel to social media chatter, with some users suggesting the administration was downplaying the severity of his condition.

The president has faced false death reports before. In September 2023, Donald Trump Jr.’s X account was hacked, and a hoax post claimed his father had died and that he was entering the presidential race himself.

Reactions to the latest wave of posts ranged from mockery to genuine alarm. Some users treated the rumor as dark comedy, while others expressed unease at the sheer volume of speculation.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)