Watch: Trump shrugs off ill health rumours as ‘fake news’ as he gives space command update

Watch as Donald Trump made an announcement from the White House on Tuesday (2 September) after his days-long radio silence fuelled rumours about his health.

The brevity and timing of an update from the White House on Monday evening set off a wave of online speculation over whether the president would address – or refute – rumours about his health, after being diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency in July.

“The President will be making an exciting announcement related to the Department of Defense,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed later Tuesday morning.

Trump has been noticeably out of the spotlight after hosting a nearly 200-minute marathon Cabinet meeting last Tuesday. Despite reportedly indulging in a long Labor Day golfing weekend, the president made no media appearances in the past week.

After several days out of the public eye, “Where is Donald Trump” and “is Trump dead” ranked among Google’s top U.S. searches.