President Donald Trump, very much alive, addressed bizarre social media rumors claiming he had died, during a White House event on Tuesday.
The rumors, which gained traction over the Labor Day weekend, speculated that Trump was either missing or dead after he made no public appearances during that time. When asked about the trend, Trump said he hadn’t seen it himself but was informed by his staff.
"I’ve heard about it — it’s kind of crazy... completely fake," Trump said. "I was actually very active this Labor Day."
He went on to joke about what he sees as a double standard in media coverage between himself and former President Joe Biden.
"I skipped public events for two days and suddenly people think something’s wrong. But Biden could disappear for months and no one would question his health — and we all know he wasn’t exactly in peak condition," Trump said.
Trump spent nearly 50 minutes speaking and answering reporters' questions in the Oval Office on Tuesday — a clear indication that the rumors of his demise were, as he might put it, "fake news."