Jimmy Kimmel ripped into the White House’s “aggressively defensive” response to the growing social media rumors around President Trump’s health.
Social media went wild over the weekend with unfounded speculation that Trump, 79, had been taken to Walter Reed Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. The rumors were sparked by Trump staying out of the public eye for longer than usual.
When commentator Aaron Rupar noted on Saturday that Trump had gone a full 72 hours without being seen in public, the White House rapid response account countered by calling him a “sick freak.”
The White House’s rapid response account addressed the rumors in another X post, writing, “Deranged liberals cook up insane conspiracy theories when @POTUS goes 12 hours without speaking to press.”
The account added, “Fear not! President Trump literally never stops working.”
Kimmel featured the White House’s post in his monologue on Monday. He jokingly responded that Trump’s disappearance for 12 hours is a big deal because “our deranged president never goes more than 12 minutes without speaking to the press.”
Kimmel clarified that there is no actual proof that Trump was hospitalized over the weekend, before adding, “He definitely should have been.”
Kimmel joked that Trump’s unhinged press conference on Monday was intended by the White House as a “proof of life” event for the president, who has been plagued by concerns about his health throughout his second term.
The Daily Beast has extensively reported on Trump’s declining health, covering the president’s frequent naps in Cabinet meetings, his swollen ankles, and the constant bruising on his hands.
When Trump attended a holiday event on Easter Sunday, he was spotted with a discolored, swollen right hand. Trump was later seen with Band-Aids on his hand while golfing in Sterling, Virginia.
The White House has insisted Trump’s hand troubles are not indicative of any serious issue. In December, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt attributed Trump’s apparent hand injuries to him “constantly shaking hands” on the job.
The White House has often referred to a medical report from July diagnosing the president with “chronic venuous insufficiency,” a condition that would also help explain his oft-bloated ankles.
In addition to Trump’s physical health, Trump’s second term has been plagued by concerns over his apparent cognitive decline.
Medical analyst Dr. Vin Gupta, a correspondent for MS NOW, argued on Sunday that Trump has been showing “all the signs of dementia.”
Kimmel made a similar argument, showing viewers a montage of Trump’s most incoherent moments from his press conference on Monday. Kimmel titled the montage, “Real Moments in Presidementia.”
When the montage ended, Kimmel joked that he found it “very comforting to know those tiny, badly bruised hands are on the wheel of this country.”
