Trump addresses health rumors
WASHINGTON—Sometimes it feels like barely an hour can go by without hearing from President Donald Trump. So when he didn’t appear for one day, then two, then three, speculation started to swirl online about his health.
Not even a few glimpses of the president visiting his golf course over the weekend were enough to stanch the social media rumor mill fueled by political opponents. Trump was asked directly about it on Tuesday at his first public event in a week.
“How did you find out over the weekend that you were dead?” asked Fox News’ Peter Doocy. “Did you see that?”
“No,” the 79-year-old Trump responded flatly. The senators and administration officials gathered around him for the Space Command headquarters announcement shifted their weight and smiled.
‘Fake news’
The president said he wasn’t aware that people were wondering if he had died, but he had heard there were concerns about his health.
“I knew they were saying, like: ‘Is he OK? How is he feeling? What’s wrong?’” Trump said, calling the speculation “fake news.”
Recently, Trump has been seen with bruising on the back of his right hand, sometimes poorly concealed with makeup, and swelling around his ankles.
The White House has said Trump was diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, which means veins in the legs can’t properly carry blood back to the heart, causing it to pool in the lower legs.
