Donald Trump uses own death rumour to pressure supporters for cash in shameless email

Donald Trump is using speculation around his own death to fundraise for his election war chest.

After unfounded online rumours spread about the US President's demise overnight, Trump's campaign team sent an email with the subject line: "I want to try and get into Heaven" - tapping into the viral speculation to pump his devout followers for cash.

Rumours began to circulate overnight after the White House confirmed the US President had no public events scheduled for today, tomorrow or Monday.

That came after JD Vance made a comment in an interview with Fox News.

He told them that he was ready to take on the Presidency should the worst happen to his boss.

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He said: “He’s got incredible energy, and while most of the people who work around the President of the United States are younger than he is, I think we find that he actually is the last person who goes to sleep, 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.”

In the email, Trump's team wrote: "I put my life on the line willingly because this is what I was made to do, but our movement, the beautiful MAGA movement, is powered by YOU...

"... That’s why I’ve launched a 24 HOUR TRUMP FUNDRAISING BLITZ, and I’m asking everyone to chip in $15 to make it one for the record books!"

The President, 79, has been covering bruising on the back of his hand with makeup that doesn’t match his skin tone for some time now.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has said Trump's hand bruising is "consistent" with irritation from his "frequent handshaking and the use of aspirin."

He had been out of the public eye for several days following his marathon three-hour televised cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

The week before, he was absent for three days after his summit with Vladimir Putin in Alaska and meetings with European leaders.

Leavitt was asked at a press briefing last month how the President is being treated for the chronic venous insufficiency he was diagnosed with in July.

And she was asked if Trump's doctor would be made available to answer questions about his condition.

Ms Leavitt replied: "I don't want to make that commitment on behalf of the physician, but it's certainly something we can look into and explore out of the effort of transparency, because unlike the previous White House, there is nothing to hide."

She said the President is seen "literally 24/7 all of the time", and said she would seek an answer.

Pressed to give further details of his treatment, she did not directly answer.

"Look, you see the President every day," she said. "He's moving, he's working. There have been no adjustments made to his lifestyle."