Sometimes it feels like barely an hour can go by without hearing from President Donald Trump. So when he didn’t appear for one day, then two, then three, speculation started to swirl online about his health.
Not even a few glimpses of the President visiting his golf course over the weekend were enough to staunch the social media rumour mill fueled by political opponents. Trump was asked directly about it on Wednesday at his first public event in a week.
“How did you find out over the weekend that you were dead?” asked Fox News’ Peter Doocy. “Did you see that?”
The morning’s headlines in 90 seconds, including new anti-gang powers for Manawatū police, Kim Jong Un’s surprise guest, and Donald Trump fires back at rumours about his health. (Source: 1News)
“No,” the 79-year-old Trump responded flatly. The senators and administration officials gathered around him for the Space Command headquarters announcement, shifted their weight, and smiled.
US President breaks silence after internet rumours go into overdrive, watch on TVNZ+
The President said he wasn’t aware that people were wondering if he had died, but he had heard there were concerns about his health.
“I knew they were saying, like: ‘Is he OK? How is he feeling? What’s wrong?’” Trump said, calling the speculation “fake news” and saying he “was very active over the weekend”.
Recently, Trump has been seen with bruising on the back of his right hand, sometimes poorly concealed with makeup, and swelling around his ankles.
The White House has said Trump was diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, which means veins in the legs can’t properly carry blood back to the heart, causing it to pool in the lower legs. It’s a fairly common condition for older adults.
As far as the bruising, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said it’s due to “frequent handshaking and the use of aspirin”, which Trump takes regularly to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke.
Trump pointed out Wednesday that he gave a few interviews during the days when he wasn’t appearing publicly, plus he was posting on Truth Social, his social media site. He wrote some “long Truths”, as the posts are known, and some “pretty poignant Truths”.
In one of those posts, from Sunday, he said he “NEVER FELT BETTER IN MY LIFE”.
In the past, Trump has been less than transparent about his health.
After he announced his first campaign in 2015, he released a hyperbolic letter from his doctor saying “his physical strength and stamina are extraordinary” and he would be “the healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency”.
In 2020, the White House withheld some details about Trump’s hospitalisation with Covid-19, such as a concerning drop in his blood oxygen levels. It was later revealed that the President was much sicker than the White House let on.