From his absence from public events to a recurring bruise on his hand, speculation has been rampant. But what’s behind this trend, and how has it been fuelled by comments from those close to him?
The recent rumours gained traction after US Vice President JD Vance stated in an interview with USA Today on August 27 that he was ready to step in if there was a ‘terrible tragedy’. However, he also emphasised that Trump was fit, vibrant, and in “incredibly good health”.“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. 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,” he told USA Today.
???? VP JD Vance says he’s ready to step in as President if “a terrible tragedy” strikes Trump, but stresses Trump is in “incredibly good health” with “incredible energy.”
Also Donald Trump hasn’t been seen in public since Tuesday and has no events scheduled all weekend.Is he… pic.twitter.com/RPuMljqR1z– Siddharth (@siddharth_00001) August 30, 2025
The conversation was further fuelled by The Simpsons creator Matt Groening’s statements at San Diego Comic-Con in July. The creator of the long-running animated serial stated that the show has “no end in sight” but tied its eventual ending to Donald Trump’s death.
Matt Groening joked that the show would keep running ‘until somebody dies’ and mentioned “when you-know-who dies,” sparking speculation about Trump’s passing, reported Euronews, citing Variety. “No, there’s no end in sight. We’re going to keep going. We’re going to go until somebody dies. When you-know-who dies, The Simpsons predicts that there will be dancing in the streets. Except President (JD)
Vance will ban dancing,” Groening added.
The trend has led to a mix of reactions on social media, with some users joking about Trump’s demise and others expressing concern about his health.
STREETS ARE SAYING TRUMP DEAD pic.twitter.com/7GQWN62p1i
— Ethan ¹⁶ |-/ ???????????????????????????? (@KimiGoatanelli) August 30, 2025
ME LIKING EVERY TRUMP IS DEAD TWEET pic.twitter.com/nOFGdy3yjt
— Jazz (@LocalJazzz) August 30, 2025
The President has also experienced health concerns recently. Earlier in July, the White House revealed that he has chronic venous insufficiency, after he was examined for swelling in his legs.
In a memo, the White House also pointed out that recent images indicate minimal bruising on his hand. “This is consistent with minor soft tissue irritation from frequent handshaking and the use of aspirin, which is taken as part of a standard cardiovascular prevention regimen,” it added.
In addition, he has also survived two assassination attempts during his campaign for re-election to the presidency.
This was not the first time that false reports of the President’s death gained traction online.
In September 2023, Donald Trump Jr’s X account was hacked, and the hacker sent a fake message claiming that his father had died and that he was running for president.
