After several days out of the public eye, President Donald Trump resurfaced online with a photo meant to silence growing rumors about his health, fueled by online speculation about his appearance, including claims of swollen ankles and visible bruises on his hand.
On Sunday, Aug. 31, Trump attempted to quiet those concerns. He posted an image of himself on Truth Social golfing with former NFL coach Jon Gruden, writing, "Great playing Golf with Jon Gruden — A really nice guy, and true character!"
Commenters suggested the photo may have been from a previous outing, noting similarities to Gruden’s Aug. 23 Instagram post.
Trump's golf photos with Jon Gruden
At first glance, the post seemed straightforward. Trump appeared to be sitting on a golf cart and shaking hands with Gruden, who wore a Trump-branded hat. However, many people online were quick to suggest that the image wasn’t from this week. They matched Gruden’s outfit to an Aug. 23 Instagram post showing the ex-coach wearing the same outfit, suggesting Trump's Truth Social account used a photo from the week prior.
"I’m not a conspiracy theory guy, but if you’re fighting off increasing rumors that you may have suffered a major medical episode and to disprove that rumor and provide proof of life, you post a picture of allegedly playing golf with Jon Gruden today, it would be beneficial to post one that wasn’t from August 23rd," wrote retired Navy officer Travis Akers.
"So we have one picture of Trump leaving for the golf club yesterday, and another of him on his way back," @KremlinTrolls pointed out on X. "No pictures of him playing golf, and he hasn't spoken publicly for 5 days. What is the @WhiteHouse hiding?"
Despite the scrutiny, some believed the post, with some commenting that Trump was at the "TOP OF HIS GAME!" and perfectly healthy.
Although the golf outing drew attention, Gruden’s presence also reignited controversy. The former Raiders coach resigned in 2021 after emails revealed racist, sexist, and homophobic language. The NFL uncovered those messages during a workplace misconduct probe, and outlets like the Wall Street Journal and The New York Times published excerpts.
Rumors about Trump’s health aren't going away
Trump’s photo drop came after days of online frenzy questioning his bruised hand and comparing it to photos of Queen Elizabeth shortly before her death. For much of the past week, folks speculated that he had suffered a medical event or worse. Some shared posts discussing his difficulty walking, bruised hands, and verbal slip-ups. As a result, "proof of life" posts became a recurring demand on X and Truth Social.
The Aug. 31 post was supposed to serve that purpose, but led to even more chatter. Some users even joked or speculated, without evidence, that the image looked AI-generated.
@Raineigans tweeted, "Donald Trump on his way to the golf course," with a video of a limp man being carried along a ceiling-high track inside a building.
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