ABUJA, Nigeria – Rumors about US President, Donald Trump being seriously ill — or even dead — flooded social media in recent days, despite his public dismissal of the claims at a White House press conference on Tuesday.
The speculation followed Trump’s brief absence from public events last week. According to misinformation watchdog NewsGuard, the hashtag “Trump dead” generated over 35 million views on X, with 104,000 mentions between Friday and Tuesday.
False claims circulated using manipulated images, out-of-context photos, and misleading narratives. Among them:
Old images of an ambulance near the White House, wrongly linked to Trump.
A 2023 photograph of the US flag at half-staff, actually tied to a school shooting, not Trump’s death.
An AI-enhanced image alleging signs of a stroke.
NewsGuard found no evidence supporting the rumours. Maps claiming road closures near Walter Reed National Military Medical Centre were also debunked.
Despite Trump stating on Truth Social, “NEVER FELT BETTER IN MY LIFE,” the rumours persisted, amplified by anti-Trump accounts on X, Bluesky, and Instagram.
Experts say the episode underscores the challenge of tackling misinformation in an era of public distrust of institutions and traditional media.
The health of US presidents has long been a subject of intense scrutiny. Trump, 79, is the oldest man elected to the office, while his predecessor Joe Biden, 82, ended his 2024 re-election bid over concerns about age and health after a poor debate performance.
