'Donald Trump is dead' rumours addressed by US official after social media storm

A US official has spoken out after rumours of Donald Trump's death went viral on social media.

Journalist Barak Ravid this afternoon cited a 'US official' as saying: "Trump is OK. Will play Golf this morning."

The Israeli journalist - who works as an analyst for CNN and reports for Axios and Channel 12 - posted the update on X, where chatter has exploded over unverified claims of the president's demise. Trump has been out of the public eye for just three days, but his absence has seen the phrase "Trump is dead" taking over X and Facebook. The false rumours came after the Commander-in-Chief was photographed with what appeared to be a bruise on his right hand.

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Many of those sharing the conspiracy on social media pointed to Trump having no scheduled events this weekend - but that is perfectly normal for a president. Trump has also been posting on Truth Social since he was last seen in public.

Comments from Trump's own Vice President JD Vance added fuel to the fire. On August 27, Vance was asked whether he would be prepared to step into Trump's shoes should a "terrible tragedy" take place. In an interview with USA Today, Vance stressed the Commander-in-Chief was in great shape, but added that the possibility could not be ruled out.

"He's 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," Vance said.

"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."

It's not uncommon for world leaders to vanish from public view for several days, with Trump being no exception. While he may not have been seen physically since earlier in the week, he has continued to take to his Truth Social platform to sound off on a number of issues, including Hulk Hogan, trade tariffs and the redrawing of a Missouri congressional map.

While nothing has been confirmed regarding the bruised hand, the White House has revealed that Trump is suffering from a condition known as chronic venous insufficiency (CVI).

Earlier this week, what appears to be a bruise was again spotted on the president's hand while he was signing an executive order. It came after he was spotted with a bruised hand in a golf video, while another image at a different event appeared to show heavy makeup applied to his hand.

Experts say the bruising could be associated with a recent cannula insertion - which would suggest the president had undergone IV therapy for an unspecified condition.