Trump announcement yesterday: US President responds to online speculation he was 'dead' - what did he say amid concerns on his health
Donald Trump issued a response after being asked how he 'found out he was dead' following speculation on social media over the weekend.
The US President made an announcement in the Oval Office on Tuesday (September 2) following numerous days of claims and rumours regarding his health. Rumours began swirling on social media early on Tuesday after an entry appeared on the White House's daily schedule which read: "The President makes an announcement".
Trump, 79, hit back at growing speculation around his health. There were false growing rumours over the weekend, in which the President failed to make public appearances for two days, that he had died, with the hashtag #trumpdead also trending on X on Tuesday (September 2).
In a brief Truth Social post on Sunday evening, Trump wrote in caps: "NEVER FELT BETTER IN MY LIFE." During the press conference, in which the announcement was due to be made that US Space Command will be located in Alabama, reversing a Biden-era decision to keep it at its temporary headquarters in Colorado, a reporter asked him about how he 'found out he was dead' on social media.
"How did you find out over the weekend that you were dead?" the reporter asked. During his reply, the president issued a four-word response, saying: "It's just fake news." He explained he did numerous interviews and spent time at his golf club in Washington D.C.
He said: "Last week I did numerous news conferences. Then I didn't do any for two days and they said, 'there must be something wrong with him'. Biden wouldn't do them for months. You wouldn't see him and nobody ever said there was ever anything wrong with him and we know he wasn't in the greatest of shape."
He continued: "It's so fake. That's why the media has so little credibility. I know you were saying 'is he okay?' and 'how's he feeling?'. I just left. And it's also sort of a longer weekend but I was very active this labour day. I had heard that, but not to that extent.
"I've been very active over the weekend. [But] I didn't hear that one. That's pretty serious stuff."