By Sushil Kutty
US President Donald Trump is trending on ‘X’, not because Elon Musk has returned to Trump’s fold. But Trump is all over X-comments because Vice President JD Vance spoke of Trump in both the present and past tense and though he should have been tense there were no lines of worry he spoke, his ruddy cheeks betraying nothing but the usual weather.
Vance will be Trump’s replacement in case the President drops, you know. The President is 79 going on 80 and that is as ripe as they come. So President Trump is trending on X and it’s got nothing to do with politics, tariff or even some of his odd remarks. But some of the ‘X’ posts have been making odd waves and one of them is “Trump Is Dead”, of all the damnation!
The digital world cannot find “confirmation” is confounding. Why is “Trump is dead” trending, who started the trend? Going into why has it gone viral is stupid. Who else will?
With that Trump’s health is back in focus. There are concerns. A recent news report said President Trump’s swollen hands were signs of disquiet and it could do with water-retention and could also be a symptom of heart-failure.
But his physicians gave him neither warning nor caution and he went about life in his own manner hardly bothered about the so-called signs or whether he’s gonna cut short on ‘Cola’ or ‘McDonalds’. From all indications, President Trump will beat the calendar and run through his second presidential term.
The man must have the constitution of an ox if not that of the now extinct mammoth though it’s the sabretooth tariffs which have been bothering the world, ask how many heads of states would want Trump too keel over and go extinct? That’s an interesting guess, how many, indeed?
Big point is, Vice President JD Vance was asked the question though not in so many words and he gave some interesting insights. Most important, Trump is not “dead”, so forget the White House dressed up all in black. Two, Vance is not expecting to fill in the vacancy and an Indian-origin FLOTUS isn’t a possibility, not yet.
The remarks from Vice President JD Vance and a fellow named Matt Groening are behind the viral posts. Vance because he gave measured answers. ‘X’ trended the phrase after Vance was asked by USA Today if he is ready to fill in Trump’s presidential shoes, should a “terrible tragedy” overtake the USA?
Vance did not baulk, act coy or tip his hat; nope, he did not even lose his cool. The 79-year-old, he said, was “fit and energetic” though “unforeseen events” are part and parcel. “He’s the last person making phone calls at night, and he’s the first person who wakes up and the first person making phone calls in the morning.
“Yes, terrible tragedies happen. But I feel very confident the President of the United States is in good shape, is going to serve out the remainder of his term and do great things for the American people. And if, God forbid, there’s a terrible tragedy, I can’t think of better on-the-job training than what I’ve gotten over the last 200 days.”
Now, that indeed is insightful. Vance does not rule out any possibility, including if he himself is fit to be the President of the United States at the drop of the dice, stone or even President Trump!
Of course, JD Vance’s comment on succession triggered talk and kicked the trend forward. Trump’s health concerns were confirmed in July when the White House disclosed that he has “chronic venous insufficiency”, a condition that causes swelling in the leg, which is also a symptom of a sedentary lifestyle, an unlikely possibility because Trump is a “golf person”.
But photos of his swollen legs gave wings to talk. And hadn’t Trump nicked an ear when an assassin took aim? So, Trump lives dangerously, right? Then, there is the “Simpson factor” being linked to “Trump is Dead” trending.
Apparently, ‘The Simpsons’ creator Matt Groening said that his show had “no end in sight” as its eventual conclusion is linked to Trump’s death. “No, there’s no end in sight. We’re going to keep going. We’re going to go until somebody dies,” Groening said, adding that “when you-know-who dies, The Simpsons predicts that there will be dancing in the streets. Except President (J.D.) Vance will ban dancing.”
But Vance is not dancing nor giving signs of breaking into a impromptu “Bangra”. Show people like Matt Groening are prone to snap at every chance though the USA media claims that his “show has a long history of eerily accurate predictions about Trump”!
Anyway, “Trump is Dead” is just another trend on ‘X’ and has nothing to do with Trump who is alive and kicking things about in the world. His tariffs are roiling the world and India too is caught in Donald the Menace’s maelstrom as he lays low exports and give imports duties and stuff like that. But so far, ‘Trump Mar Gaya’ is not trending. JD Vance will wait. (IPA Service)
