Overview

• President Trump appeared at the White House, dismissed the online claims as “fake news,” and declared he had never felt better.
• The White House and Trump’s physician, Capt. Sean Barbabella, described his swollen ankles as chronic venous insufficiency and said visible bruising was non-life-threatening.
• Speculation accelerated after several days without public events as hashtags trended, users misread half‑mast flags that honored school‑shooting victims, and a circulated “proof of life” photo was questioned as old.
• Vice President J. D. Vance’s remark that he was ready to assume the presidency in case of a “terrible tragedy” helped fuel succession chatter.
• Mainstream outlets did not report the death rumors as fact, while media analysts pressed for consistent, rigorous scrutiny of a 79‑year‑old president’s health and examined whether coverage standards differ from those applied to Joe Biden.