Former President Donald Trump unleashed the hornets of speculation Monday by simply showing up in the Washington area for only the second time since he left office.
The visit was not announced and reached social media thanks to the work of freelance journalist and YouTuber Andrew Leyden, who calls himself PenguinSix.
Leyden said in a video post around 6 p.m. Sunday that Trump was “on his way to Washington,” citing “aircraft spotters I hang out with.”
After dashing to Dulles International Airport in Virginia and hunting at a variety of locations, the freelancer was able to shoot footage of Trump getting off his plane and driving away.
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In the video, Leyden theorized Trump was heading to his golf club in Potomac Falls, Virginia, based on the direction Trump’s motorcade was heading.
Others posted images showing the former president, who had no public events scheduled on the 21st anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, had flown to Washington from New Jersey.
PICTURES: 45th President of the United States Donald J. Trump arrives at Morristown Municipal Airport in Morristown, NJ to fly to Dulles International Airport in Virginia on September 11, 2022 pic.twitter.com/yuSZYzxdiI
— Kyle Mazza (@KyleMazzaWUNF) September 11, 2022
Speculation ran wild as observers guessed why Trump could be back in Washington.
While ruminating on the arrival and touching bases with a number of anti-Trump sources that focused on a possible arrest, Newsweek found significance in the fact that Trump was wearing golf shoes.
The site also noted that the former president could be in Washington for a Monday speech by his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, at an event sponsored by the America First Policy Institute and the Abraham Accords Peace Institute.
Twitter was abuzz with commentary.
Ok. Donald Trump arrived in DC wearing golf shoes. Golf shoes have spikes on the bottom of them — like cleats — and it ruins the spikes if you walk on concrete with them. Trump didn’t have time to pack another pair of shoes before flying to DC? This was 100% an unplanned flight.
— Dash Dobrofsky (@DashDobrofsky) September 12, 2022
Wait til they find out why Trump came to DC today
— Jack Posobiec ?? (@JackPosobiec) September 12, 2022
It’s been arraigning — I mean, raining https://t.co/9i5DWhMBd6
— George Conway? (@gtconway3d) September 12, 2022
Trump flew into DC last night from Bedminster unscheduled. He hasn’t posted about why he’s in Washington, and neither has his family. The speculation is:
1. He’s seeking treatment at Walter Reed for an unknown medical condition.
2. He’s been indicted, and is turning himself in.— Mike Sington (@MikeSington) September 12, 2022
Journalist Seth Abramson poked holes in just about everyone’s theories.
“I’m seeing many people saying he’s at Walter Reed with no evidence to support the claim. Others are saying he’s going to be arraigned tomorrow, but DOJ has implied it’ll take no such action pre-election,” Abramson tweeted. “A search of a Trump DC property? Possibly—but no evidence of *that*, either.”
I guess I just don’t want anyone to get their hopes up that this means anything at all. It could be literally nothing. Or it could be something. We’ll have to be patient.
— Seth Abramson (@SethAbramson) September 12, 2022
“FWIW, I’m guessing that some of the speculation about Trump going to Walter Reed comes from him being dressed tonight as he was the last time he went there (i.e., open shirt, no tie). It’s true Trump usually travels in a tie, but evidence-wise this is *really* slim pickings, IMO,” he wrote.
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