Donald Trump has re-emerged on social media, dispelling wild rumours of his death. The former US President posted a photo on Truth Social, showing him enjoying a round of golf with American football coach Jon Gruden. He captioned the image, "Great playing Golf with Jon Gruden — A really nice guy, and true character!" This marks Trump's first public statement since speculation about his wellbeing began circulating online.

The 79-year-old politician had not been seen for three days, prompting conspiracy theories to flourish. Observers noted his lack of scheduled weekend events as a sign that something was amiss. However, Trump demonstrated he was alive and well by playing golf with his granddaughter, Kai Trump, on the south lawn of the White House.

On Saturday, journalist Barak Ravid reported via X, citing a "US official," that "Trump is OK. Will play Golf this morning." Ravid, who works as an analyst for CNN and contributes to Axios and Channel 12, noted the surge of unverified claims regarding the President's health on social media platforms.

Despite being out of the public eye for a short period, the phrase "Trump is dead" gained traction on X and Facebook. The unfounded rumours were partly fuelled by a photograph showing Trump with what appeared to be a bruise on his right hand. Many conspiracy theorists pointed to his absence from scheduled events, although such breaks are not unusual for a sitting president.

Trump had remained active on Truth Social during his time away from public appearances. Comments from his Vice President, JD Vance, also contributed to the speculation. In an interview with USA Today on August 27, Vance was asked if he would be ready to step in should a "terrible tragedy" occur. He reassured the public, stating, "He's in great shape," while acknowledging that unforeseen events could happen. Vance added, "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 expressed confidence in Trump's ability to complete his term, saying, "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." He concluded by suggesting that if a tragedy were to occur, he had gained valuable experience over the past 200 days.