WASHINGTON (U.S.): President Donald Trump on Tuesday dismissed reports on social media that he is in ill health, saying he was busy over the Labour Day weekend giving media interviews and visiting his Virginia golf course.
“I was very active over the weekend,” Trump confidently told reporters in the Oval Office. When asked if he was aware of the reports, he dismissed them as “fake.”
Trump, 79, in January became the oldest person to assume the U.S. presidency.
Speculation about his health swirled on the social media platform X over the weekend, with posts citing Trump’s lack of a public schedule late last week and a USA Today interview with Vice President JD Vance published on Thursday.
When asked during the interview if he was ready to assume the role of commander in chief, Vance said he was confident Trump was “in good shape” but also suggested he was prepared to step in if anything happened to the president.
Before Tuesday, Trump’s last extended exchange with reporters came during a cabinet meeting a week earlier. Trump led the more than three-hour session on August 26, his longest on-camera appearance as president.
Over the Labour Day weekend, reporters saw him leaving the White House each day for his usual visit to his golf course, a routine that he has maintained for years.
Trump underwent an extensive physical examination on April 11 at Walter Reed National Military Medical Centre in suburban Washington. The official results, released by the White House, found he had a normal heart rhythm and no major health problems, providing reassurance about his health status.
On July 17, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said Trump was experiencing swelling in his lower legs and bruising on his right hand after photos showed him with swollen ankles and makeup covering part of his hand.
His physician, Sean Barbabella, said in a letter released by the White House that tests confirmed the leg issue was due to “chronic venous insufficiency,” a benign and common condition, especially in people over 70.
The doctor said the bruising on Trump’s hand was consistent with minor soft tissue irritation from frequent handshaking and aspirin use, which Trump takes as part of a “standard cardiovascular prevention regimen.”
Since then, the White House has played down concerns about Trump’s health, without detailing how the leg issue is being treated.