Donald Trump appeared unable to keep his eyes open during an Oval Office presser as Robert F. Kennedy Jr. addressed the administration’s rescheduling of marijuana.
The 79-year-old president looked glassy-eyed and worn down throughout his executive order signing ceremony on Thursday, with his drowsiness seeming to deepen as Kennedy began to speak.
Slumped over in his chair at the Resolute desk, Trump’s face slackened—eyes drooping, the corners of his mouth sagging—as he fought off sleep.
At one point, he tried to force himself awake by looking directly at the cameras, only for his eyelids to slowly give way. At other times, he nodded absent-mindedly, his eyes closed.
The elderly president has now been caught appearing to doze off at four official events in six weeks. His public naps have fueled fresh scrutiny of his mental and physical fitness while prompting concern among his supporters.
The executive order downgrades marijuana from a Schedule I drug, the same category as heroin and LSD, to a Schedule III drug, the same category as ketamine and testosterone.
Trump, the oldest president ever inaugurated, jokingly alluded to his age during the signing ceremony, which was attended by Kennedy, Dr. Mehmet Oz, and other federal medical officials, as well as Howard Kessler, a billionaire Trump supporter and the founder of a group promoting medical cannabis for seniors.
After Kessler said he wanted to “make a difference in the lives” of people 65 and older, Trump quipped, “And I’m far younger than 65, so this does not pertain to me. Thank you. I don’t want it. Okay? I’m not going to be taking it.”
He added, “But a lot of people do want it. A lot of people need it, and thank you, Howard, for really opening a lot of eyes.”
Trump’s executive order, which sparked backlash among some conservatives, does not federally legalize marijuana. The drug is already legal in several states.
The commander-in-chief’s battle against drowsiness drew swift online ridicule, with his top troll, California Governor Gavin Newsom, commenting, “Last night was crazy.” Newsom appears to be referencing Trump’s frantic address to the nation on Wednesday night.
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung claimed after the primetime address that Trump went back to the Oval Office at 10 p.m. to “continue working on behalf of the American people.”
Trump, who called his predecessor Joe Biden “Sleepy Joe,” has earned the nickname “Dozy Don” from Newsom.
His press office’s X account chimed in Thursday, writing, “DOZY DON STRIKES AGAIN!” and “NAP TIME FOR THE BIG GUY.”
The president has been caught snoozing at official events since at least May, when he couldn’t keep his eyes open during a summit in Saudi Arabia, but lately the dozing has become more frequent.
In November, he fell asleep during an Oval Office press conference on drug prices. He nodded off during his own Cabinet meeting on Dec. 2 and then again less than a week later, when he jolted awake during a roundtable event at the White House on Dec. 8.
The Daily Beast has reached out to the White House for comment.
