Trump appearing to sleep during televised Cabinet meeting goes viral

“The president should get off Truth Social and rest! 90-minute meetings are extremely taxing, but especially for someone his age,” Yemisi Egbewole, a former Biden White House official, told theGrio.

President Donald Trump appeared to fall asleep during a televised, hours-long Cabinet meeting at the White House on Tuesday, resulting in clips of the moment going viral on social media.

In one clip, Secretary of State Marco Rubio praises Trump as the “only leader in the world” who could help end the Russian war in Ukraine. Sitting beside Rubio, Trump is seen with his eyes closed and head tilted to the side.

The president also appeared to struggle to keep his eyes open earlier in the meeting as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth discussed the Trump administration’s controversial strikes in the Caribbean, targeting so-called “narcoterrorists.”

“Trump asleep” is now a trending topic on Google and Threads, as critics of the president point out the irony that he and Republicans for years rebuked former President Joe Biden for his age, accusing Biden of not having the mental acuity or stamina to handle the job of the presidency.

Trump, 79, infamously gave Biden the nickname “Sleepy Joe.”

“The president should get off Truth Social and rest! 90-minute meetings are extremely taxing, but especially for someone his age,” Yemisi Egbewole, a former Biden White House official, told theGrio when asked about Trump’s apparent slumber on Tuesday.

Many have been reacting to video clips of Trump’s Cabinet meeting on social media.

“Is it nap time in D.C?!?” wrote journalist Don Lemon.

This isn’t the first time that Trump has appeared to nod off during an official White House event. On Nov. 8, the president appeared to struggle to stay awake during an Oval Office news conference announcing price cuts for weight-loss medications. According to The Washington Post, Trump fought to keep his eyes open for about 20 minutes as he sat at the Resolute Desk, as speakers like Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Service Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz delivered remarks. That incident, too, went viral.

Trump’s age and overall health have been under much scrutiny in recent months. On Monday, the White House released details of a mysterious MRI the president underwent. Although Trump told a reporter on Air Force One on Sunday that he had “no idea” which part of his body needed an MRI, the White House physician stated a day later that the procedure was “preventive” and standard for men his age to ensure cardiovascular and abdominal health.

Other health concerns related to Trump include the sighting of bruising on his hand and swelling on his feet, which the White House downplayed and said the president is being treated for. Trump has also had fewer public events in recent weeks.

Democrats and critics of President Trump have seized on Trump’s perceived health issues, suggesting he is battling dementia.

“This is a man who has something stuck in his head. He can’t get it out of his head. He doesn’t read. He doesn’t know anything that’s up to date. It’s just something in the recesses of his brain that is effectuating,” Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker told the Chicago Tribune.

Jasmine Crockett, whom Trump frequently attacks, suggested that the president may have some cognitive issues.

“The fact that no one is questioning his mental acuity or fitness to serve is beyond wild to me,” she said earlier this year.