President-elect Donald Trump's communications director has hit out at reporters for starting rumors about Trump's health by saying that ambulances were spotted leaving Mar-a-Lago on Thursday afternoon.
"The press has set up a fake, unofficial 'pool' because they want to feel important about themselves," Cheung wrote on X Thursday afternoon. "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***ing dummy."
Cheung's comments were in reply to a series of X posts from Andrew Feinberg, the White House correspondent for Britain's The Independent, who, at 4:16 p.m. ET reported on X that CBS TV pool stationed near Mar-a-Lago saw "about 20-25 cars, two ambulances and a helicopter hovering above" Trump's estate, followed minutes later by the vehicles leaving.
The post, viewed 3.7 million times by Friday, caused a flurry of speculation on social media about Trump's health.
Thirty minutes later, Feinberg updated his report, writing, "CALM DOWN, PEOPLE. Per a transition source and @SecretService, the ambulances were part of Vice President-elect @JDVance's motorcade. False alarm. Go about your business." The clarification garnered 4 million views by Friday.
Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi confirmed the details, dispelling the rumors. "We are not tracking any Secret Service-directed medical transports from Mar-a-Lago, and from our personnel on the ground," Guglielmi stated on X. "There are no issues or concerns with any Secret Service protectees on property,"
Trump's health, like Joe Biden's, has been the subject of much speculation over the course of the presidential campaign.
At 78, he is set to become the oldest U.S. president upon his second inauguration in January 2025. He will be four months older than Biden was at the start of his term in 2021.
The ambulances at Mar-a-Lago were standard protocol for JD Vance's motorcade, not an emergency involving Trump or others.
Calling a member of the press a "f***ing dummy" is not out of character for Cheung, a long-time Trump loyalist who is known for using sharp rhetoric to fiercely defend the president-elect and target his critics.
Some of his most memorable lines include saying Biden "shuffles around like he has a full diaper," referring to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis as a "desperate eunuch," and describing Vice President Kamala Harris as a "stone-cold loser."
Cheung was Trump's adviser in his 2016 campaign, and was his 2024 campaign spokesperson before Trump announced he would be his White House communications director in his upcoming administration.
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