President Donald Trump slammed the “so fake” news media over swirling speculation about his declining health — but still had a bruised hand during his first public appearance in about a week.
Trump seemed to be in good health as he joked alongside his MAGA allies while announcing that the U.S. Space Command headquarters would move from Colorado to Alabama on Tuesday afternoon. It was the president’s first appearance since an empty schedule over Labor Day weekend sparked frenzied online rumors about his condition.
When asked if he had seen that people were questioning whether he was dead or suffering from a serious health issue, Trump said he hadn’t, but took the opportunity to slam the media.
“Well, it’s fake news. It’s so fake. That’s why the media has so little credibility. I knew they were saying, like, ‘Is he OK? How’s he feeling? What’s wrong?” Trump told reporters. “It’s also sort of a longer weekend, it’s Labor Day Weekend...No, I was very active this Labor Day weekend.”
“I had heard that, but I didn’t hear it to that extent,” Trump said of the rumors.
The announcement that the U.S. Space Command will be relocated to Huntsville, Alabama, dubbed “Rocket City,” was Trump’s first public engagement since a marathon three-hour cabinet meeting last Tuesday. Despite the online concern, he was spotted going to his Virginia golf course Saturday.
As word spread of Trump’s lack of a public schedule over the holiday weekend, conspiracy theorists took to Google and social media to inquire about his condition. On Saturday, questions about Trump’s health were among the top Google searches, while “Where is Donald Trump” was trending on X even as he was photographed going to the golf course.
Eagle-eyed theorists also pointed to an interview Vice President J.D. Vance gave last week in which he said he was ready to assume the presidency if a “terrible tragedy occurred.” In the same interview, however, Vance noted that Trump was in “incredibly good health.”
Trump addressed the concerns Sunday, writing, “NEVER FELT BETTER IN MY LIFE.” His comments were linked back to a Truth Social post that made disparaging comments about former President Joe Biden’s Health. The post was also made by a user who noted that the “media freaks out if Trump disappears for 24 hours.”
During the Tuesday briefing, Trump also noted he had been very active on Truth Social over the long weekend, telling reporters that he had “pretty poignant Truths,” or posts.
Trump shared dozens of posts on Truth Social over the holiday weekend, including declarations that D.C. is now safe and a call to end mail-in voting. He also posted a bizarre rant, lashing out at a White House Rose Garden worker for damaging a piece of stone.
Trump’s health has been under scrutiny for most of his second term, and speculation has continued to grow ever since photos of his swollen ankles and bruised hands began circulating online. White House officials, however, have insisted that the 79-year-old president has chronic venous insufficiency, a condition common amongst older people. The condition occurs when veins in the legs struggle to bring blood to the heart.
Trump, who has frequently worn visible concealer on his right hand to cover up a recurring bruise, went makeup-free late last month while signing executive orders in the Oval Office.
The White House and Trump’s doctor have maintained that the president is in “excellent health” and that the hand bruise he often sports is the result of frequent handshaking and intake of aspirin.
