President Trump addressed ongoing speculation about his health while speaking to reporters inside the Oval Office on Tuesday in his first public event in a week.
After announcing that the U.S. Space Command will move its headquarters from Colorado to Alabama, the president took questions from reporters and was asked by Fox News reporter Peter Doocy about viral rumors of his death that flooded parts of the internet over the holiday weekend.
Trump said he had not heard them.
“You know, I have heard, it’s sort of crazy, but last week I did numerous news conferences,” the president said. “And then I didn’t do any for two days, and they said there must be something wrong with him.”
Trump said he “was very active over the weekend,” noting that he visited his Virginia golf course and published numerous posts on his Truth Social platform before returning to the death rumor.
“I didn’t hear that one,” the president said. “That’s pretty serious stuff.”
Trump at the White House on Monday. (Mark Schiefelbein/AP)
In a brief message on his Truth Social platform on Sunday, Trump appeared to refute speculation about his deteriorating health.
“NEVER FELT BETTER IN MY LIFE,” read the message posted by the president, who had gone several days without holding official public events.
Trump was photographed on Saturday departing the White House with his granddaughter en route to his golf course in Sterling, Va. On Sunday, the president posted a photo of himself and former NFL coach Jon Gruden on the golf course, though it’s unclear when the photo was taken.
What we know about the president’s health
In July, the White House announced that Trump had been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, which occurs when veins in the legs have trouble sending blood back to the heart. In a memo, Sean Barbabella, Trump’s physician, said it was a “benign” condition common among people over the age of 70.
Barbabella said the president underwent a comprehensive examination.
“Importantly, there was no evidence of deep vein thrombosis or arterial disease,” he said. “President Trump remains in excellent health.”
The disclosure came after photographs showed Trump with visible swelling in his lower legs.
A bruise is visible on the back of Trump’s right hand during a meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung in the Oval Office on Aug. 25. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Photographs showing bruising on the back of Trump’s right hand earlier this year also led to speculation about his health. At the time, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the bruises were caused by Trump “shaking hands all day, every day.”
In his memo, Barbabella said that the bruises were “consistent with minor soft tissue irritation from frequent handshaking” and a known side effect of his use of aspirin as a standard cardiovascular prevention regimen.
The bruises reappeared in photographs taken on Aug. 25, which also fueled the recent rumors swirling online.
In photos of Trump’s right hand taken in the Oval Office on Tuesday, there were no visible bruises.
A detailed view of President Trump’s right hand in the Oval Office on Tuesday. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)