Reason why conspiracy theory that Donald Trump is ‘dead’ is going viral

The internet has once again done what it's best at - taking something and running with it.

And this week's wild conspiracy theory centres around none other than the US president himself, Donald Trump.

Now, we all know Trump is no stranger to a bizarre conspiracy, having been accused of sending a 'body double' to public events, as well as a 'lookalike' for his wife, Melania.

Some people even believe that the Republican leader faked his assassination attempt in July last year, picking apart photos of his ear injury and claiming it 'healed too fast'.

But this new speculation arguably takes the cake for the most unhinged, because it involves the belief that Trump is actually no longer alive.

Yep, that's right, a theory that the POTUS is secretly 'dead' has gone viral - and until he was spotted out playing golf over the weekend, some people were well and truly convinced.

The latest Donald Trump conspiracy theory has blown up online - and it's the craziest yet (Aaron Schwartz/CNP/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Why did people think Donald Trump was 'dead'?

So, where did this slightly cruel idea stem from? If you're picturing a complex investigation and heaps of evidence, think again.

It actually started because Trump hadn't been spotted for a few days - no public events, interviews, or anything of the sort - but he was periodically posting on Truth Social.

People began to realise that his official schedule was unusually quiet over the Labor Day weekend - a federal holiday in the US celebrated on the first Monday of September to honour and recognise the American labor movement.

Internet searches for 'Trump' and 'is Trump dead' made their way to the top of the search engine as more people tried to find out if it was true after reading the online theories and by lunchtime on Saturday (30 August), 'Where is Donald Trump' was trending on X.

The president not being seen publicly since a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday (27 August) and his schedule being cleared for the weekend were the main things that appeared to get people spiralling.

Social media users were convinced the president had died after he wasn't seen publicly for a few days (Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)

Adding fuel to the fire, Vice President JD Vance started talking about a hypothetical 'tragedy' - not the best timing or choice of words.

In an interview with USA Today, he spoke about how he was prepared to take the role of president if something 'terrible' should occur.

He told the publication: "Yes, terrible tragedies happen. But I feel very confident the president of the United States is in good shape, is going to serve out the remainder of his term and do great things for the American people.

"And if, God forbid, there’s a terrible tragedy, I can’t think of better on-the-job training than what I’ve gotten over the last 200 days."

So, this coupled with the 'mysterious bruise' that's popped up every now and then on Trump's hand, often covered with makeup, sent social media into a meltdown.

JD Vance didn't help matters by talking about a hypothetical 'terrible tragedy' (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

How has Donald Trump responded to the conspiracy theory?

Trump quickly shut down the false rumours by responding to a post by someone else on Truth Social, who wrote: "Joe Biden would go multiple days at a time without any public appearances and the media would say he’s sharp and top of his game."

They added: "President Trump puts in more public work hours than any other POTUS in US history and media freaks out if he disappears for 24 hours. Comical double standard."

Linking back to the original message, Trump simply penned: "NEVER FELT BETTER IN MY LIFE. Also, DC IS A CRIME FREE ZONE! President DJT."

He's also been seen out and about playing golf with his granddaughter Kai, putting the speculation to bed once and for all.