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Former President Donald Trump has spoken out about his Monday visit to Washington, D.C., amid rampant rumors about his potential arrest or health problems.
Trump was first spotted arriving at Virginia's Dulles Airport on Monday morning ahead of an unannounced visit to the nation's capital. This news sparked a wave of speculation online, with many suggesting that the former president was either about to be arrested by the Department of Justice (DOJ) or was set to visit Walter Reed Hospital for medical reasons.
In a post made to Truth Social around noon ET, Trump attempted to dispel rumors, saying that he was visiting the Trump National Golf Course and that he would be "working" there. The reporter who initially broke the story of Trump's visit, Andrew Leyden, had suggested that was where Trump was headed. It was also backed up by the fact that Trump was in golf wear upon his arrival, though others suggested that this meant that he had made the trip on short notice.
"Working today at @TrumpWashingtonDC on the Potomac River," Trump wrote on Truth Social, alongside a link to his golf course's official website. "What an incredible place!"
Monday marks only the second time that Trump has been in Washington, D.C., since leaving the White House on January 20, 2021, without attending Joe Biden's inauguration. In late July, he appeared at the America First Policy Institute's two-day "America First Agenda" summit to give a speech. The institute is a conservative think-tank established by former members of the Trump administration.
Speculation that Trump was due to be arrested on Monday stemmed from the numerous potential indictments hanging over him, including investigations into the January 6 Capitol riot, his potential role in attempting to overturn the 2020 presidential election, and his alleged taking of top-secret documents from the White House to Mar-a-Lago in Florida. The latter case resulted in a high-profile search of the resort by FBI agents, who found multiple boxes of sensitive documents kept in unsecured conditions.
"Trump is in DC 57 days before the election," Lindy Li, political analyst and Democratic National Committee member, noted on Twitter. "Which is right around the DOJ's alleged 60-day threshold for 'election year sensitivities.' So, if the theories of indictment hold true, this would be perfect timing."
Discussing the potential medical emergency explanation, Li further noted that Trump "was well enough to deplane by himself so if it's a medical emergency it can't be that dire. Which paves the way for other explanations." Lawyer and staunch Trump critic George Conway also noted that D.C. has not been experiencing weather fit for a golfing trip.
Newsweek reached out to Trump's office for comment.
About the writer
Thomas Kika is a Newsweek weekend reporter based in upstate New York. His focus is reporting on crime and national ... Read more