"You are extraordinary people. I am committed to being with you for life," the 79-year-old president said, speaking to his closest allies at the first dinner held in the newly renovated Rose Garden. Guests included Vice President JD Vance, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and others who have supported Trump throughout his campaign. Most of the attendees were Republican House members, along with a few senators.
"I will be with you, and you will be with me and our leadership team," Trump continued. "Let me explain simply why you were invited to this dinner tonight. Because you are trusted friends." The president also addressed his health and the rumors of his death that had surfaced the previous week. He referenced Ronny Jackson, his former physician and now congressman, who was present at the event. Jackson had previously called Trump "the healthiest president" when comparing him to former presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush.
The "Trump dead" rumors originated from a USA Today interview on August 28 with Vice President Vance. The reporter mentioned that Trump was the oldest president ever to take office and asked if Vance would be ready to assume the role of commander-in-chief. Vance responded, "The president’s health is good, enough to complete his term and do great things for the American people. If a terrible situation arises, I believe there’s no better training than what I’ve experienced in the last 200 days."
Though Vance confirmed Trump’s good health, social media users interpreted his answer as evidence that Trump's health was in decline. Influencers online spread rumors about Trump’s lack of schedule in recent days and photos showing bruises on his hand.
According to Rolli IQ, a social media monitoring tool, the phrase "Trump dead" appeared over 5,600 times from August 28 to September 2 across social media platforms in the U.S. and countries like Brazil and Australia. Posts with the phrase received significant engagement, including more than two million likes and 122,000 shares on X.
Trump denied the rumors during a press briefing on September 2 at the White House and later criticized the false claims at the dinner. "I’ve held eight press conferences, every day, but missed one because of an Oval Office meeting, and then went to the golf club for a few meetings. They saw me there, yet the rumor still spread that I was dead. At the club, I kept getting asked, ‘Sir, are you okay? Is your health fine?’"
The president also commented on the controversial Rose Garden renovation. He confirmed that the roses were preserved, only the grass area was renovated because "whenever we held press conferences here, women often got their high heels stuck in the mud." Trump invited guests to admire the "beautifully paved stones" on the lawn, which he said would become an important venue for press conferences, celebrations, dinners, and gatherings in the future.