Rumours of Donald Trump’s Death Swirl Online, Official Denials Follow

In an unexpected turn of events on August 30, 2025, a wave of unsubstantiated claims that former U.S. President Donald Trump had died swept across social media platforms, prompting widespread speculation and immediate denials from official sources.

A frenzy of cryptic posts on X (formerly Twitter) spurred the hashtag #TrumpDead, which accumulated over 50,000 mentions as users pointed to Trump’s lack of weekend appearances and a noticeable bruise on his hand as evidence of a serious health crisis. The rumours were amplified by screenshots of an empty White House public schedule and the temporary outage of the White House live stream, leading many to interpret these anomalies as signs of a cover-up.

White House officials categorically refuted the claims. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt described the speculation as “baseless” and reiterated that the president remains in “incredibly good health,” attributing the hand bruising to routine aspirin use and frequent handshakes rather than any grave medical issue. The White House physician confirmed that Trump’s chronic venous insufficiency (CVI), a common circulatory condition, is stable and poses no imminent threat.

Fact-checking outlets also weighed in. Business Upturn reported that reputable news organizations and the White House repeatedly affirmed Trump’s wellbeing, dismissing the death rumours as a social media hoax devoid of credible evidence. The trend was traced back to misinterpreted comments by Vice President JD Vance about presidential succession, which were taken out of context to suggest a health emergency.

By the afternoon, the online hysteria had subsided as mainstream media outlets published detailed refutations and no independent verification of Trump’s death emerged. The incident underscores the rapidity with which misinformation can spread in the digital age-and the importance of official confirmation before accepting viral claims as fact.