Trump appears with granddaughter amid bizarre death speculations online

Sterling, Virginia - President Donald Trump went on a golfing trip with his granddaughter amid a bizarre wave of online speculation that he had died.

Amid speculation about his health, President Donald Trump finally reappeared in public for a golfing trip with his granddaughter Kai.
Amid speculation about his health, President Donald Trump finally reappeared in public for a golfing trip with his granddaughter Kai.  © AFP/Andrew Caballero-Reynolds

As multiple hashtags related to the 79-year-old's supposed death went viral on X, Trump made first public appearance in days – not for some grand exercise in diplomacy, but to take his granddaughter Kai golfing in Virginia.

The president and the 18-year-old, who doubles as a social media personality and golfer, were photographed as a vehicle was being loaded with golf equipment.

Speculation began to spiral on Friday after the White House released a blank schedule for the Labor Day weekend and users pointed Trump hadn't been spotted in a few days.

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The rumors were intensified by the Republican's ongoing health issues, after he was recently diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency and then awkwardly covered up bruising on his hand with an ungodly amount of makeup.

Hashtags such as '#TrumpIsDead' and '#WhereIsTrump' swiftly blew up, racking up hundreds of thousands of posts, and triggered reactions from a number of high-profile figures.

"It's a long time frame that he didn't actually golf for," said Twitch streamer and political commentator Hasan Piker on Saturday. "I do find it very odd... Cause, like, he loves golfing, and you can't stop him from golfing so, like, is his human battery running out?"

Daily Caller White House correspondent Reagan Reese hit out at the frenzied activity by revealing that she'd spoke to Trump the previous day.

"I wake up to see people freaking out that Trump's sick or dead or something because he hasn't been seen in a few days," Reese wrote on X. "I was with the president yesterday afternoon. I interviewed him for an hour."

Cover photo: AFP/Andrew Caballero-Reynolds

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