Vice President JD Vance was called out after accusing media outlets of claiming that President Donald Trump was dying after he wasn't seen for three days even though no reputable media sources had published reports saying so.
Last week, rumors swirled that Trump was on his deathbed after he wasn't seen for several days and the White House cancelled his public appearances, a development that fueled speculation in large part because of Trump's recent health problems, which include a diagnosis of chronic venous insufficiency and sightings of a harsh bruise on his hand.
But those rumors were circulated on social media—not via media outlets—and were predominantly amplified on X, which is owned by billionaire (and wishy-washy Trump ally) Elon Musk.
Vance claimed:
"If the media you consumed told you that Donald Trump was on his death bed because he didn't do a press conference for 3 days, imagine what else they're lying to you about."
You can see his post below.
Aside from the fact that no reputable media sources claimed that Trump was dying—to say so without independent verification would have been journalistic malpractice—Vance's remarks were rather funny considering the lengths he and the wider Trump administration have gone to to lie about and discredit the existence of the Epstein files.
Trump has done everything he can these last few weeks to avoid any and all questions about the Epstein files, which are said to contain detailed lists of some of the late financier, pedophile, and sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein's most high-profile clients and enablers.
Trump is widely believed to be in the files and has rejected calls by his followers to release them. In turn, he has admonished critics of Attorney General Pam Bondi, who recently concluded no such list exists despite claiming the exact opposite just months ago.
The scandal has hit a fever pitch with protesters, often led by Epstein's victims, convening on Capitol Hill to demand transparency, citing concerns about a wider government cover-up to protect Trump and any other Epstein associates from facing accountability.
Vance was swiftly called out.
It's worth noting that the only outlet to publicly question Trump about the health rumors was Fox News, a network typically deferential to the president, when White House correspondent Peter Doocy asked on Tuesday if he had seen the speculation.
Trump replied that he had not, before adding:
“I knew they were saying, like: ‘Is he OK? How is he feeling? What’s wrong?’”
He dismissed the rumors as “fake news” and claimed they were “why the media has so little credibility.”
Subsequent coverage made clear the health chatter was unfounded and multiple outlets had already reported that Trump was seen golfing on Saturday, when the rumors that he had died were in overdrive.
@GregAbbott_TX/X
