WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump yesterday dismissed social media rumors that have swirled about his health—including that he had died—as “fake news” during a press conference at the White House.

Trump did not schedule any public appearances or hold any press conferences for several days last week, a noticeable absence from the cameras for the publicity-loving 79-year-old.

Combined with his age—he is the oldest person ever to be elected US president—and recent images of his bruised hand and swollen ankles, the quiet from the Oval Office ignited widespread speculation that something was seriously wrong with Trump’s health.

Many users even suggested that the 45th and 47th US president may have passed away, and that the White House was covering it up.

“Really? I didn’t see that,” the Republican said when a reporter on Tuesday asked him jokingly, “How did you find out over the weekend that you were dead?”

“That’s fake news,” he added as the reporter, Fox News’ Peter Doocy, told him of the speculation.

Trump complained that he had done several news conferences last week “then I didn’t do any for two days and they said ‘there must be something wrong with him.’”

“It’s so fake. ‘Is he ok, how’s he feeling, what’s wrong?’”

Trump, who began his second term in office in January, actually had no public events for six consecutive days before Tuesday’s press conference.

But he was heard playing music in the Rose Garden on one of those days, and was then seen heading to play golf on three of them over the long US Labor Day weekend.

“I was very active over the weekend,” Trump insisted.