Rumours have flooded social media Donald Trump is dead.
The US president has not been seen in public for two days, giving the internet plenty of momentum to speculate on where he is.
It comes after the 79-year-old was spotted with poorly blended and colour-matched concealer on his hand, sparking rumours of bruising and cannula usage.
Vice President JD Vance, in trying to quash the rumours, only made it worse, insisting he is ready to take the top job in case of a ‘terrible tragedy’.
He told USA Today: ‘Yes, terrible tragedies happen. 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.
‘And if, God forbid, there’s a terrible tragedy, I can’t think of better on-the-job training than what I’ve gotten over the last 200 days.’
Is Donald Trump actually dead?
There has been absolutely no confirmation Trump is dead, or even any news on his health.
But there’s also been no confirmation he is still alive.
The last notable update on Trump’s health was in July, when the White House confirmed he had chronic venous insufficiency – a vein condition which causes leg swelling.
The president has not spoken out on issues he was expected to, including on the resignation of the head of the Centre for Disease Control over a vaccine fallout.
A pizza shop tracker, which tracks the number of deliveries to various important places, has also noticed a spike of activity near the Pentagon, which typically means there is something big happening.
But it might be due to a US missile cruiser heading towards the Caribbean.
Why is ‘Trump Dead’ trending on social media?
The initial post on Reddit said: ‘POTUS (President of the United States) hasn’t been seen since yesterday, wasn’t seen today, and has no public events scheduled this weekend.
‘He hasn’t even been seen in public since Wednesday, and we don’t know if he’ll be seen in public until Tuesday.
‘Rumours are circulating that he’s died. Twitter is having a heyday and, after a federal appeals court ruled 7-4 today that POTUS’ tariffs are unconstitutional as they violate Congress’ authority over the purse and the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, are joking that POTUS saw the ruling and immediately … killed himself.’
The Simpsons creator Matt Groening, who has made scarily accurate predictions before, also made a comment about Trump dying at the San Diego Comic-Con.
He said: ‘When you-know-who dies, The Simpsons predicts that there will be dancing in the streets. Except President (J.D.) Vance will ban dancing.’
People online have not been shy about hoping the president has met his demise.
One X user even wrote: ‘Imagine not believing Trump is dead just because there’s “no evidence.” Where’s your sense of whimsy, your joie de vivre?’
So, where is Donald Trump?
As Washington DC has only just begun to wake up, it is possible we may be hearing confirmation he is alive, or otherwise, soon.
Trump was meant to be at his resort in Bedminster, New Jersey, for the final two weeks of August before Labor Day on September 1.
But he scrapped plans to travel, and decided to stay on in the White House, The Washington Times reports.
His physician Sean Barbabella spoke about the bruising on his hand, saying: ‘This is 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.’
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also issued a statement clarifying the bruising.
She said: ‘President Trump is a man of the people, and he meets more Americans and shakes their hands on a daily basis than any other President in history.
‘His commitment is unwavering, and he proves that every single day.’
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
