It’s not often that a US president stays silent long enough to bring about a lot of controversy online. Still, Donald Trump, whom his own White House famously called the “most accessible president,” has been somewhat secretive in the past few days. Gossip about his health is getting out more quickly than a conversation on Twitter on a day with very little news.
The 79-year-old president appears to have stepped back from his standard media circus after a hectic August that saw 15 trips to his Virginia golf course and even a weekend trip to his Scottish club. Twenty-six public appearances made up his tightly packed summer itinerary, which ended in a three-hour Cabinet meeting where he lined up discussions of world emergencies with Taylor Swift’s engagement.
Yet this week? There is silence. Donald Trump has been prominently off-camera, leaving an immense gap in the political news cycle and facilitating conspiracy theorists to let loose, except for a golf outing with his grandchildren, Kai, 18, and Spencer, 12.
Trump spotted out this morning, after viral rumors of his death due to his clear schedule this weekend and health concerns online🚨
joined by his granddaughter Kai boarding the presidential motorcade on the South Lawn of the White House going to Trump Golf Club in Virginia pic.twitter.com/HvPjuHr0M7
— SOUND | Victor Baez (@itsavibe) August 30, 2025
There is a degree of truth to the claims. Earlier in the month, pictures of Donald Trump’s swollen ankles and bruised hand went viral on social media, leading to the White House revealing a rare health disclosure.
Donald Trump’s doctor, Dr. Sean Barbabella, said that the president was diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, and this results in leg swelling. Still, he argued that Trump is in “excellent health.” The bruising? It was reportedly brought on by aspirin use and “soft tissue irritation from frequent handshaking.”
Skeptics haven’t been put off by the prognosis, though.
As Donald Trump nowadays spends more time golfing than giving speeches at rallies, online rumors are only getting louder. This contrasts with his first presidential term, when his favorite retreat was in Bedminster, New Jersey.
A more extended holiday this year feels… strange.
Trump Quashes Death Rumors With Golf Outing in Virginia.
After days of speculation over his health, President Trump appeared relaxed and energetic on the golf course with his grandchildren, silencing online conspiracy theories.#WashingtonEye pic.twitter.com/Ijn9ITAFBs
— Washington Eye (@washington_EY) August 30, 2025
CNN even noted that this time off has been longer than the ones before it, which kept up the uproar.
Despite this, some insiders say that this is not a true story. After a long talk with Trump, Reagan Reese, the Daily Caller‘s White House correspondent, wrote that the president was “very much alive” in a weirdly worded post that begged more questions.
This is a peculiar tactic, if it is one. Whether ranting with reporters or calling out opponents, President Donald Trump does well in the limelight. It feels like a calculated risk or an inevitable necessity for him to go missing, even for only a few days.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDofdryO2Bc
In any case, it’s a story his team hopes will go away quicker than one of his shocking social media tirades.
For now, the silence is the only thing that sounds louder than the gossip. Washington insiders look forward to Donald Trump’s next public appearance, even though his red MAGA cap is still bobbing on the greens in Virginia. The rumor mill will keep going until then!
NEXT UP: Donald Trump’s MAGA Hat is Doing More Than Campaigning—Why He Never Takes It Off
