President Donald Trump quashed wild conspiracy theories about his health this morning by heading to his Virginia golf course with granddaughter Kai, following days of unfounded speculation that sparked the viral hashtag #WhereIsTrump across social media platforms.
The 79-year-old Republican was photographed at approximately 8.45am on Saturday departing the White House’s south lawn with his 18-year-old granddaughter, the eldest child of Donald Trump Jr, sporting his signature golfing attire – black trousers, a white polo shirt and his trademark red MAGA cap.
The appearance comes after baseless rumours claiming Trump was seriously ill or had even died dominated X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook feeds on Friday, with conspiracy theorists pointing to his absence from public view since a marathon cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
A U.S. official tells me: Trump is OK. Will play Golf this morning, Axios journalist Barak Ravid posted on X shortly before images emerged of the president loading into his motorcade with Kai Trump and heading to Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia.
The unfounded speculation reached fever pitch after Vice President JD Vance told USA Today in an interview published Thursday that he was prepared to assume the presidency “if, God forbid, there’s a terrible tragedy,” whilst emphasising that Trump remains in “incredibly good health” and brimming with “incredible energy.
Vance’s comments, intended to reassure the public about the president’s vitality, inadvertently fuelled online conspiracy theories. “I can’t think of better on-the-job training than what I’ve gotten over the last 200 days,” the Vice President added, maintaining that Trump “is the last person making phone calls at night, and he’s the first person who wakes up and the first person making phone calls in the morning.”
The rumours were further amplified by controversial conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, who claimed without evidence last week that Trump was experiencing a “health crisis” and predicted the president would “have some type of collapse within the next 12 months of the current trajectory.
Jones pointed to photographs showing Trump’s swollen ankles, stating: “That’s not a good sign for the heart and the rest of the body, because the rest of him, he’s lost weight, he’s not that fat.” The Infowars host also alleged that “Trump is unconscious, basically, for periods of the day now.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt had previously revealed in July that the president suffers from “chronic venous insufficiency,” that was causing “mild swelling” in his lower legs. The president’s physician, Sean Barbabella, confirmed this was “a benign and common condition” in elderly people, with no evidence of serious arterial disease.
The bruising visible on Trump’s hands in recent photographs was attributed to “irritation from frequent handshaking and use of aspirin ‘as part of a standard cardiovascular prevention’ treatment,” according to medical reports.
Many of his supporters will be relieved to learn that Trump was merely enjoying some time off and doing what he loves – golfing, though questions about his stamina persist as he maintains an intense schedule at 79 years old.
The president’s absence from public view coincided with a major legal setback on Friday when a federal appeals court ruled that most of his sweeping tariffs are illegal. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit held in a 7-4 ruling that the law Trump invoked when he granted his most expansive tariffs — including his “reciprocal” tariffs — does not actually grant him the power to impose those levies.
Trump responded furiously on Truth Social, posting: “ALL TARIFFS ARE STILL IN EFFECT! Today a Highly Partisan Appeals Court incorrectly said that our Tariffs should be removed, but they know the United States of America will win in the end. If these Tariffs ever went away, it would be a total disaster for the Country.”
The ruling affects Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs announced on 2 April and other levies imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. “The core Congressional power to impose taxes such as tariffs is vested exclusively in the legislative branch by the Constitution,” the court stated in its majority opinion.
The appeals court stayed its decision until 14 October, allowing the Trump administration time to appeal to the Supreme Court. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said in a declaration to the court that striking down the tariffs “would cause massive and irreparable harm to the United States and its foreign policy and national security both now and in the future.”
Revenue from tariffs totaled $142 billion by July, more than double the amount at the same point last year. The Congressional Budget Office recently projected that tariffs would reduce U.S. deficits by £3.2 trillion ($4 trillion) over the next decade.
Trump’s golf outing with Kai, an aspiring professional golfer who has committed to playing for the University of Miami’s women’s team in 2026, appeared deliberately timed to counter the swirling rumours. The president’s granddaughter, who boasts 1.7 million Instagram followers and 3.2 million TikTok followers, rose to prominence after speaking at the 2024 Republican National Convention.
Wednesday’s meeting with son-in-law Jared Kushner, former British prime minister Tony Blair and Israeli official Ron Dermer to discuss post-war Gaza plans marked Trump’s last official engagement before his brief disappearance from public view.
The hashtag #WhereIsTrump began trending after White House reporters noted the president had no scheduled events for the weekend, sparking what According to Grok, X’s AI-powered chatbot, posts speculating about Trump’s possible demise had acquired over 1.3 million user engagements as of Saturday morning.
Ben Meiselas, co-founder of self-styled “pro-democracy” media outlet MeidasTouch, wrote on X: “Where did Trump go?! Where is he? What is happening?” before the president’s appearance this morning.
The episode highlights ongoing concerns about transparency regarding the health of America’s oldest serving president, who was 79 at his inauguration in January. Trump’s team has consistently maintained he remains in robust health despite visible signs of ageing and his demanding schedule.
As conspiracy theories continue to swirl online, today’s golf outing serves as a visual rebuttal to those questioning the president’s wellbeing, though it’s unlikely to completely silence critics who point to his age and recent medical disclosures as cause for concern.
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