A death announcement without a source

“Donald Trump died?” That was the startling message shared in a post on X on September 3. The post included an image that appeared to show the entertainment and news account Pop Base announcing that the US president had died at the age of 80, but there was no evidence that the account had ever published such a statement.

According to a fact-check conducted by Lead Stories, a search for the exact wording produced no matching results. No established news organization or US government authority had reported Trump’s death, while his official Truth Social account remained active on the same day. The available evidence therefore pointed to a fabricated screenshot and another false death rumor.

Any remaining doubt was removed the following day. On September 4, Trump appeared in an official White House video as he signed a series of executive orders in Washington. While the false claim was still being discussed online, the president was standing in front of cameras carrying out official duties.

Golf became Trump’s strangest proof of life

This was not the first time a rumor about Trump’s death had been disproved through his close connection to golf. A remarkably similar wave of speculation emerged in August 2025, after the president had spent an unusually quiet period away from the public eye. Searches and posts containing phrases such as “Trump is dead” and “Where is Trump?” quickly spread across social media.

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Trump was subsequently photographed leaving for a golf outing with his grandchildren Kai and Spencer. The images showed him outside the White House in golf clothing and a red cap before the family travelled to Trump National Golf Club in Virginia, as described by People. The golf trip consequently became an unusual but highly visible piece of evidence that the reports of his death had been greatly exaggerated.

The pattern has now repeated itself. Another false rumor has appeared, and golf is once again at the center of the response. This time, however, the story is not connected to a private family round but to an international tournament featuring some of the sport’s biggest names.

Golf’s leading names gather on Trump’s course

The Amgen Irish Open will be staged at Trump International Golf Links in Doonbeg from September 9 to 13. It will be the first time the historic tournament has visited the course on Ireland’s west coast. Its arrival comes at a remarkable moment, only days after the latest false claims about the president.

The official DP World Tour event information lists a powerful field featuring Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry, Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton, Rasmus Højgaard, Nicolai Højgaard and European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald. McIlroy arrives as defending champion after his dramatic 2025 victory at The K Club, where an eagle on the final hole forced a playoff. He eventually secured the title on the third additional hole.

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The sporting focus should naturally fall on the players, but separating the tournament from politics and business will be difficult. It is being played on a course carrying the president’s name, while Trump is expected to attend during the decisive stages. Even several of the world’s finest golfers could find themselves competing for attention with a story unfolding beyond the fairways.

Trump is expected to take center stage

Trump is expected to travel to Ireland on September 12, initially meeting the country’s political leaders in Dublin before continuing to Doonbeg. According to IrishCentral, he is then scheduled to attend the Irish Open at his resort. An extensive security operation and several planned demonstrations are expected to accompany the visit.

Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin has acknowledged that the tournament will carry an unusual level of attention and tension. He stressed that the Irish Open is important to Doonbeg and the local economy, while also defending the public’s right to protest peacefully. The event is therefore set to become a golf tournament, a presidential visit and a political gathering at the same time.

For Trump, the timing could hardly be more symbolic. Days after someone attempted to declare him dead on social media, he could appear before the cameras at an international golf tournament staged on a course bearing his name. The claim was false, but the episode has again demonstrated how quickly a manipulated image can create a narrative that reality is then forced to correct.

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When McIlroy, Rahm and the rest of the field tee off in Doonbeg, the Irish Open trophy will remain the sporting prize that matters. Yet there will be little doubt about who attracts the largest collection of cameras if the US president arrives for the closing stages. Donald Trump is not dead, and in Ireland he may end up commanding more attention than all the golf stars combined.

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