In a startling turn of events, Donald Trump Jr.'s X social media account was compromised on Wednesday, September 20, leading to a series of bizarre and controversial posts. One of the most shocking claims made during the hack was that former President Donald Trump had passed away. The message, posted at 8:25 a.m., read, “I’m sad to announce, my father Donald Trump has passed away. I will be running for president in 2024.”

However, this claim was quickly debunked when, at 8:46 a.m., the former president, aged 77, sent out a message on Truth Social, confirming he was very much alive.

The hacking didn't stop at the false death announcement. The compromised account also posted provocative statements such as "North Korea is about to get smoked" and claimed to have had "some interesting messages with Jeffrey Epstein," despite Epstein having passed away four years prior in a Manhattan prison. Other posts included politically charged statements like "F--- Joe Biden" and a promise that “When I become president I am going to burn the SEC."

By 9 a.m., the controversial posts had been removed from the platform. Andrew Surabian, a spokesman for Don Jr., later confirmed the hacking, stating, “Don’s account has been hacked."

This incident comes on the heels of Trump Jr.'s appearance on Newsmax, where he discussed the media's treatment of President Joe Biden compared to his father. He criticized the media for not questioning Biden's integrity and alleged corruption, stating, "It's easy for them to [ignore] it because they have trillion-dollar organizations, the entire force of the mainstream media." He further lamented the media's past treatment of his father, saying, "If Trump tweeted 'Merry Christmas,' it was a bigger scandal than Watergate."

Trump Jr. has been a vocal defender of his father, especially in light of recent legal troubles. Earlier this year, the former reality star faced legal consequences for mishandling classified documents after his tenure in the White House. In defense of his father, Trump Jr. commented in August, “By the way, for the record, I’d say that if Donald Trump actually still had the nuclear codes, it’d probably be good. Our enemies might actually be like, ‘OK, maybe let’s not mess with them,’ unlike when they look at Joe Biden and they say, ‘You know what? We should attack now.'"

The hacking incident underscores the volatile nature of social media and the potential for misinformation to spread rapidly. As digital platforms continue to play a significant role in shaping public opinion, incidents like these serve as a reminder of the importance of cybersecurity and the need for vigilance in the digital age.