Topline<\/p>\n
President Donald Trump will make his first official public appearance in a week Tuesday amid rumors he was suffering from a mysterious health condition\u2014or was even possibly dead\u2014after months of being spotted with large bruises on his hands. <\/p>\n
President Donald Trump returns to the White House on September 1, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Al Drago\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n
Getty ImagesKey Facts<\/p>\n
Trump\u2019s official Tuesday press schedule lists a 2 p.m. Oval Office announcement, raising speculation he could explain his days-long absence by making a health-related announcement.<\/p>\n
But the Associated Press, citing two unnamed sources familiar with the plans, reported<\/a> Trump will announce the U.S. Space Command will be located in Alabama, not Colorado, where the Biden administration temporarily relocated it, and the Pentagon website also has a livestream set up for a \u201cU.S. Space Command HQ Announcement.\u201d<\/p>\n Trump was last photographed Monday outside the White House wearing golf clothing as he walked to his motorcade, and he was pictured Saturday departing the White House with his granddaughter Kai Trump en route to Trump National Golf Club in nearby northern Virginia.<\/p>\n Prior to the Saturday sighting, Trump had not been seen since his Cabinet meeting last Tuesday, Aug. 26\u2014sparking frenzied social media rumors<\/a> speculating whether he had died, with search inquiries for \u201cis Trump dead\u201d and \u201cTrump dead\u201d among the top Google searches Saturday.<\/p>\n Trump posted consistently on Truth Social over the weekend, writing Sunday<\/a> \u201cNEVER FELT BETTER IN MY LIFE\u201d and doubling down<\/a> on his feud with Illinois Democrats over his threats to send federal law enforcement and the National Guard to Chicago to tamp down on crime. <\/p>\n The 79-year-old president\u2019s public absence exacerbated health concerns stemming from mysterious bruising<\/a> on his hands that he has attempted to cover with thick makeup, markings the White House has attributed to shaking hands and an aspirin regimen for heart disease prevention.<\/p>\n Contra<\/p>\n \u201cI get that the vibe is very weird around Trump right now. But these rumors that he’s secretly at Walter Reed have no credible evidence to support them, and are being spread by small-time influencers looking for clicks,\u201d Mike Rothschild, who studies conspiracy theories, tweeted<\/a> Sunday, though Rothschild also added \u201cit\u2019s possible Trump\u2019s health took a turn and the WH is buying time with tweets and pictures of Trump on the golf course.\u201d <\/p>\n Chief Critic<\/p>\n \u201cOf course Trump\u2019s not dead, on the other hand how could you be certain? And how could his own White House have possibly made it look more like he was or is desperately ill or had surgery or is having surgery or what?\u201d liberal commentator Keith Olbermann said in a video tweeted<\/a> Monday.<\/p>\n Tangent<\/p>\n Trump was diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, the White House announced<\/a> in July after he was repeatedly photographed with swollen ankles, a symptom of the condition. CVI, which is common in people over the age of 70, is caused by \u201cincompetent venous valves,\u201d according to the National Institutes of Health<\/a>. The White House said testing showed no signs of \u201cdeep vein thrombosis or arterial disease\u201d or heart failure in Trump. <\/p>\n Key Background<\/p>\n Trump had no events on his public schedule over the weekend\u2014which is not unusual\u2014but he gave an hour-long interview<\/a> with the Daily Caller conservative news site Friday. Fueling concerns about Trump\u2019s health, Vice President JD Vance in an interview with USA Today on<\/a> Thursday also addressed the possibility of Trump dying, telling the paper he was ready to assume the presidency in the event of a \u201cterrible tragedy,\u201d though he insisted Trump is in \u201cgood shape\u201d and \u201cincredibly good health.\u201d For months, Trump has been seen with bruising covering the majority of the back of his right hand and was seen last weekend with a smaller bruise on his left hand. The bruising on his right hand\u2014which Trump has repeatedly attempted to conceal with thick makeup\u2014was last visible during two appearances on Monday, Aug. 25. The White House, and Trump himself, have blamed the bruising on persistent handshaking. White House physician Sean Barbabella also said in a letter in July the bruising \u201cis consistent with minor soft tissue irritation from frequent handshaking and the use of aspirin, which is taken as part of a standard cardiovascular prevention regimen.\u201d <\/p>\n Further Reading <\/p>\n \u2018Is Trump Dead?\u2019 Rumors Debunked As Trump Seen Leaving For Golf<\/a> (Forbes)<\/p>\n