United States President Donald Trump has continued to trend on X in the past few days.

However, this time around, it is not because of his political decisions or policy announcements. Instead, he is trending because of the viral phrase “Trump is dead,” which swept across the platform and left users searching for answers.

Checks by Tribune Online on Saturday confirmed that numerous netizens have been repeatedly tweeting the phrase.

One of the posts by @makrixyz read, “if trump is dead I will give 100 dollars to anyone who like this tweet.”

Another, by @sunraesandirie, stated, “Despite the silence on whether he is dead or not, I will continue to like every tweet that says DONALD TRUMP IS DEAD.”

The sudden rise of the trend has raised questions about what triggered it, with some linking it to recent remarks by United States Vice President JD Vance, while others pointed to comments made by The Simpsons creator, Matt Groening.

According to NDTV, the phrase began circulating just days after Vance, in an exclusive interview with USA Today on August 27, was asked if he was prepared to step In as commander-in-chief should a “terrible tragedy” occur.

While emphasising that the 79-year-old president remained fit and active, Vance acknowledged that unexpected events were always possible.

“He’s the last person making phone calls at night, and he’s the first person who wakes up and the first person making phone calls in the morning,” Vance told USA Today.

He added, “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.”

Vance’s remarks, coupled with Trump’s health history, appear to have fuelled speculation.

In July, Tribune Online reports that the White House disclosed Trump has chronic venous insufficiency, a condition that causes swelling in the legs.

Even before the announcement, photos showing the president’s visibly swollen legs had circulated widely online, stoking rumours. The president also survived two assassination attempts during his re-election campaign, events that heightened public concern about his wellbeing.

Adding to the buzz were remarks from Matt Groening during San Diego Comic-Con in July. As reported by Euronews, citing Variety, The Simpsons creator said the long-running animated series had “no end in sight” but hinted that its conclusion could be tied to Donald Trump’s death.

“No, there’s no end in sight. We’re going to keep going. We’re going to go until somebody dies,” Groening said. He then added, “When you-know-who dies, The Simpsons predicts that there will be dancing in the streets. Except President (J.D.) Vance will ban dancing.”

The Simpsons has gained notoriety for seemingly predicting Trump-related events in the past, from his 2000 election victory to a re-election storyline in 2015, making Groening’s comment an easy catalyst for online speculation.

However, it is worth noting that this is not the first time rumours of Trump’s death have trended. In September 2023, Donald Trump Jr.’s X account was hacked, and a false message was posted claiming the president had died and that he, Trump Jr., would run for office. The rumour was quickly quashed when Trump himself appeared on Truth Social to assure supporters he was alive. (Saturday Tribune)