Looks dead........

Why the internet exploded with speculation that President Trump is dead.

Story by Ashley Soebroto 

Rumors about President Donald Trump's health spiraled into a frenzy on social media Saturday, leading to speculation that he may be dead.

In an interview Wednesday with USA Today, Vice President JD Vance said that although the 79-year-old president was in good health, he was prepared to take over the role of commander in chief should a "terrible tragedy" strike. 

"Yes, terrible tragedies happen," Vance said to USA Today. "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."

His statement fueled online chatter when the terms #whereistrump and #trumpdead began trending Saturday on Twitter. 

Speculation that Trump died gained traction when social media posts Friday night claimed that the president had not been seen publicly since Tuesday. Various media outlets reported, however, that Trump was spotted playing golf in Virginia on Saturday morning.

The rumors about Trump's declining health started several weeks ago when Trump was photographed with bruising on his hand and, more recently, with visibly swollen ankles.

In February, the president was spotted with a large bruise on the back of his hand when meeting French President Emmanuel Macron at the White House. Since then, various photographs have shown Trump with bruising on his hand, as well as concealer being used to hide it.

The White House released a letter July 17 from Trump's physician stating that the president had been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, "a benign and common condition, particularly in individuals over the age of 70," the doctor wrote. It is a medical condition in which veins in the lower legs become damaged, leading to poor blood flow back up to the heart and thus leaving lower legs swollen.

The letter also stated that bruising spotted on the back of Trump's hand was caused by frequent handshaking and the use of aspirin which he takes as a part of "a standard cardiovascular prevention regimen." It was also stated that he showed no signs of "heart failure, renal impairment, or systemic illnesses."