At his first Rose Garden dinner since its renovation on 5/9, 79-year-old US President Donald Trump addressed his closest allies, saying, "You are extraordinary people. I pledge my lifetime commitment to you." Guests included Vice President JD Vance, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and members of Trump's campaign team. Most attendees were Republican representatives, along with a few senators.

"I will be with you, and you will be with me and the leadership team," he continued. "I'll explain simply why you're invited to dinner tonight. Because you are trusted friends."

Trump speaks at a Rose Garden dinner on 5/9. Photo: AP

Trump speaks at a Rose Garden dinner on 5/9. Photo: AP

The president also addressed his health and the rumors of his death that surfaced the previous week. He mentioned Congressman Ronny Jackson, his former physician, who was present at the dinner. Jackson had previously described him as "the healthiest president" compared to former presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush.

The death rumors originated from a USA Today interview with the vice president on August 28. The reporter mentioned Trump's status as the oldest president ever sworn in and asked Vance if he was "prepared to take on the role of commander-in-chief." Vance replied that the president's health was "in good shape to finish this term and to do great things for the American people. If some terrible circumstance should arise, I don't think there's any better on-the-job training than what I've had over the last 200 days."

While the vice president affirmed Trump's good health, social media users interpreted his response as evidence of the contrary. Some influencers circulated the information that Trump had no scheduled events for several days, along with photos appearing to show bruising on the back of his hand.

According to Rolli IQ, a social media monitoring tool, the phrase "Trump died" appeared over 5,600 times between August 28 and September 2 on social media in the US and countries like Brazil and Australia. Posts containing this phrase on X received the most engagement, with over two million likes and 122,000 shares.

Guests listen to Trump speak at the Rose Garden dinner on 5/9. Photo: AFP

Guests listen to Trump speak at the Rose Garden dinner on 5/9. Photo: AFP

Trump later dismissed the health rumors in a press conference at the White House on September 2 and again at the Rose Garden dinner. "I do eight press conferences, every day, but I miss one because I was working in the Oval Office and then I leave the White House to go to the golf club because I had a few meetings there, they saw me too, but the rumor still appeared and became a vicious rumor that I was no longer alive. I went to the club and kept getting asked: 'Sir, are you okay? Is your health still good?'"

The president also mentioned the controversial Rose Garden renovation. He stated that the roses were preserved, and only the lawn was renovated because "every time there's a press conference here, women often sink their high heels into the mud."

Trump invited the guests to admire the "beautiful courtyard paved with the most beautiful stones in the world," which "will become an important venue in the coming time for press conferences, celebrations, dinners, and bringing people together."

Hong Hanh

(According to People/Aljazeera)