A viral video circulating online claimed to show U.S. President Donald Trump waving to and saluting empty space on the White House South Lawn prior to boarding Marine One on October 19.
The footage was widely shared by social media users, left-leaning commentators, and public figures—including prominent YouTube personalities and former cable news hosts—who used it to suggest the president was exhibiting signs of mental decline. Initial headlines from outlets like The New Republic similarly asserted that Trump was waving and saluting to no one.
While the video itself is authentic and unmanipulated by artificial intelligence, the narrative surrounding it is entirely miscaptioned. Photojournalists and live broadcast footage from the scene confirm that Trump was actually acknowledging individuals working on the construction of the new White House ballroom—which has replaced the demolished East Wing—as well as officials standing further in the background near the helicopter.
Media-licensing archives from outlets like Getty Images and the Associated Press provide clear visual evidence refuting the rumor. Photographs from the event explicitly capture construction workers on the ground and at elevated levels near the site, with one photo even showing a worker giving the president a thumbs-up as Marine One prepared for takeoff. Live coverage from Fox News earlier in the broadcast also clearly displayed darkly-dressed officials standing near a white fence whom the president was seen saluting.
Following the emergence of the photographic evidence and corrected reporting, several outlets updated their coverage to reflect the accurate context of the footage.