Trump fuels social media speculation about his health with just two words

US president Donald Trump has finally addressed online speculation around his health and wellbeing, after he was pictured with a dark bruise on his right hand, seen with swollen ankles (diagnosed as ‘chronic venous insufficiency’), and went a weekend without any public engagements or talking to reporters.

Taking to his Truth Social platform on Sunday, the 79-year-old responded to another user who attacked the media for “[freaking] out if [Trump] disappears for 24 hours” and its “comical double standard”.

Trump added: “NEVER FELT BETTER IN MY LIFE. Also, DC IS A CRIME FREE ZONE! President DJT.”

His comments about the country’s capital refer to his deployment of the National Guard to tackle a “crime emergency” there – even though the city’s crime statistics show violent crime is actually down from previous years.

At one point, troops were seen picking up litter in Lafeyette Park, near the White House.

Yet despite Trump insisting he’s feeling OK health-wise, the Truth Social post only led to people being more convinced that something was up:

“Yes, I’m sure his swollen ankles, bruised hands, strange walking, and mental decline are all indicative of a healthy person,” content creator and Democrat Harry Sisson responded sarcastically:

Another Twitter/X user wrote they weren’t “super convinced that something was seriously wrong with Trump until he tweeted this”:

Then, at just before 10pm local time on Sunday, Trump issued another Truth Social post containing two words: “good night”.

It’s not clear if the president was simply stating the evening had been a “good night” or whether he was clocking off from social media for the day, but it still had people raising eyebrows and asking “what’s going on”:

One Twitter/X account commented: “The man that posts at all hours of the night is turning in early on a holiday weekend, where he has been laying low for days. Okay”:

Despite all the rumours, both the White House and Trump’s doctor maintain that the US president is in “excellent” health.

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