Was it sparked by c0ncerns 0ver his health, 0r is it tied t0 recent remarks fr0m Vice President JD Vance and The Simps0ns creat0r Matt Gr0ening?

 

"Trump Is Dead": After JD Vance's "Terrible Tragedy" Remark, A Viral Trend
Vance’s c0mments 0n the line 0f successi0n may have sparked the trend.

US President D0nald Trump has been trending 0n X (f0rmerly Twitter) f0r a c0uple 0f days, but n0t f0r his usual p0litical m0ves, ann0uncement 0f tariffs 0r 0ff-the-cuff remarks. P0sts with the phrase “Trump Is Dead” t00k 0ver the platf0rm and made the digital w0rld l00k f0r c0nfirmati0ns and reas0ns why it was viral.

Was it sparked by c0ncerns 0ver his health, 0r is it tied t0 recent remarks fr0m Vice President JD Vance and The Simps0ns creat0r Matt Gr0ening?

The phrase became a trend days after Vance was asked in an exclusive interview with USA T0day 0n August 27 if he was prepared t0 step int0 the r0le 0f c0mmander in chief, sh0uld a “terrible tragedy” strike. Stressing that the 79-year-0ld was fit and energetic, Vance said that unf0reseen events c0uld n0t be ruled 0ut.

“He’s the last pers0n making ph0ne calls at night, and he’s the first pers0n wh0 wakes up and the first pers0n making ph0ne calls in the m0rning,” Vance t0ld USA T0day. He added, “Yes, terrible tragedies happen. But I feel very c0nfident the president 0f the United States is in g00d shape, is g0ing t0 serve 0ut the remainder 0f his term and d0 great things f0r the American pe0ple. And if, G0d f0rbid, there’s a terrible tragedy, I can’t think 0f better 0n-the-j0b training than what I’ve g0tten 0ver the last 200 days.”

Vance’s c0mments 0n the line 0f successi0n may have sparked the trend. Trump has als0 faced health c0ncerns recently. In July, the White H0use c0nfirmed he has chr0nic ven0us insufficiency, a vein c0nditi0n that causes leg swelling.

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Even bef0re the 0fficial ann0uncement was made, ph0t0s 0f his visibly sw0llen legs sparked speculati0n. Trump als0 survived tw0 assassinati0n attempts while campaigning in the run-up t0 his return t0 the White H0use.

The Simps0ns Fact0r

The chatter was amplified by The Simps0ns creat0r Matt Gr0ening’s remarks at San Dieg0 C0mic-C0n in July. As rep0rted by Eur0news, citing Variety, the creat0r 0f the l0ng-running animated series said that there was “n0 end in sight” f0r the sh0w, but linked its eventual c0nclusi0n t0 D0nald Trump’s death.

“N0, there’s n0 end in sight. We’re g0ing t0 keep g0ing. We’re g0ing t0 g0 until s0meb0dy dies,” Gr0ening said. He then added a line that immediately set s0cial media alight. “When y0u-kn0w-wh0 dies, The Simps0ns predicts that there will be dancing in the streets. Except President (J.D.) Vance will ban dancing.”

The sh0w has a l0ng hist0ry 0f eerily accurate predicti0ns ab0ut Trump, fr0m his electi0n vict0ry in 2000 t0 a re-electi0n st0ryline in 2015.

Past Rum0urs

It is n0t the first time fake rep0rts 0f the President’s death have gained tracti0n 0nline. In September 2023, D0nald Trump Jr.’s X acc0unt was hacked, and the hacker p0sted a fake message declaring his father had died and that he was pledging t0 run f0r presidency. The claim was swiftly debunked when D0nald Trump himself p0sted 0n Truth S0cial t0 assure supp0rters he was alive.