‘Because I missed one day of press conferences’: Trump mocks ‘death’ rumours; blasts media

US president Donald Trump on Friday blasted the media over his death rumours, saying they spread because he skipped press conferences, and claimed he countered them with a three-hour briefing.

“The press has been very good lately, except for one rumour they spread,” Trump said.


“I did about eight press conferences in a row. Then I missed one because I was in the Oval Office. I also went to a club for meetings, and suddenly this horrible rumour started that Trump is no longer with us. People even asked me, ‘Sir, are you OK?’”

Trump further told reporters that the “fake news” spread only because he skipped a single day of appearances. He added that to counter it, he said he gave the press a three-hour briefing on Friday. "Because I missed one day of press conferences, I gave them about a three-hour press conference today," he said.


On Wednesday, too, the 79-year-old president laughed when asked by Fox News about the claims. “That’s fake news. I didn’t do anything for two days, and they said something must be wrong with me. Biden wouldn’t do anything for months,” he quipped.

Speculation had grown after Trump went nearly a week without public events, with images of a bruised hand and swollen ankles doing the rounds, fuelling concern.

The White House had clarified that his hand marks were caused by tissue irritation and aspirin use, while his swollen ankles were linked to a benign vein condition. His physician, Dr Sean Barbabella, also confirmed the president “remains in excellent health.”