(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) President-elect Donald Trump’s closest allies swiftly shut down baseless suggestions he may have suffered a health episode at his Florida estate on Thursday.
The rumors began circulating Thursday afternoon after a CBS reporter stationed outside Mar-a-Lago claimed two ambulances and several vans had just left the residence.
The reporter claimed to have spotted between 20 and 25 vehicles and a helicopter “hovering above,” according to The Independent’s Andrew Feinberg, who amplified the claims on his X page.
The false health scare turned out to be part of Vice President-elect JD Vance’s Secret Service motorcade.
According to Trump spokesmen Steven Cheung and Dan Scavino, the rumors were spread by an unofficial pool of reporters “because they want to feel important about themselves.”
Cheung added, “In this case, some idiot at CBS overreacted and set off the fire alarm for no reason thinking they were going to get the scoop of a lifetime. F*cking dummy.”
The press has set up a fake, unofficial “pool” because they want to feel important about themselves. In this case, some idiot at CBS overreacted and set off the fire alarm for no reason thinking they were going to get the scoop of a lifetime.
Fucking dummy. https://t.co/iEuYUQ8E58
— Steven Cheung (@StevenCheung) November 21, 2024
Scavino echoed Cheung’s remarks, noting that Trump was in a meeting during the false reporting and that reporters were stationed outside Mar-a-Lago.
“Nothing more, nothing less,” Scavino wrote, debunking the false claims. “Sadly, they thought they were on to something more. Hopefully they clarify and correct immediately!”
I am currently at Mar-a-Lago, and 45–47 is in a meeting. The movements being reported by the unofficial “pool” who are staked outside of the property—of cars, vans, ambulances, and a helicopter hovering above, are that of Vice President-elect @JDVance’s motorcade. Nothing more,…
— Dan Scavino Jr.🇺🇸🦅 (@DanScavino) November 21, 2024
The original posts garnered over six million views before being flagged with a community note on X.
“This was just VP-elect JD Vance’s motorcade, which always has ambulances as a precaution,” the fact-checking community note explained.
The rumors come just months after Trump survived two assassination attempts.
Trump, then a Republican presidential candidate, narrowly escaped the first attempt on his life during a rally in Butler, Pa., on July 13.
The second attempt occurred at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Fla. on Sept. 15.
