The excitement of a trip to Saudi Arabia apparently didnât last long for 78-year-old U.S. President Donald Trump: In fact, the special welcome ceremony appeared to be a snoozer.
Trump landed in Riyadh on Tuesday as part of a four-day tour of the Middle East, where he claims he will secure billions in investments and trade agreements with Gulf nations. (He may also pick up a free plane.)
But the long red-eye flight from the U.S. appeared to have taken its toll; Trump was frequently seen with his eyes closed and once appeared to jolt himself awake during a special ceremony held in his honor at the Saudi royal court by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the countryâs de facto ruler, who previously ordered the killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
The prince was more forgiving of Trumpâs inattention, but it was noted by those watching on social media.
âTrump is having a hard time keeping his eyes open in Saudi Arabia,â reporter Aaron Rupar wrote while sharing a clip of Trump appearing to nod off on X.
Another X user posted: âSleepy Don can barely keep his eyes open while representing the United States in Saudi Arabia. If this were President Biden, there would be nonstop coverage of his cognitive condition and physical fitness. Where is the media outrage?â
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung denied that Trump wasnât paying attention.
âItâs clear that President Trump was fully engaged and listening intently as he finalized historic deals on his return to Saudi Arabia,â he said. âThe Daily Beast should perk up and stop slacking instead of taking their cues of liberal liars who have shown a history of deceiving the American people.â
The napping habits of his predecessor, of course, prompted Trump to call President Joe Biden, âSleepy Joe.â
But Trump, who will overtake Biden as the oldest sitting president in U.S. history during the final year of his second term, has often faced accusations of dozing off in public.
One of the most high-profile incidents came during his 2024 hush money trial, where reporters inside the New York courtroom said that he appeared to fall asleep during the historic proceedings.
Trump claimed he was fully conscious throughout the trial in posts on Truth Social during the proceedings.
âI donât fall asleep during the Crooked D.A.âs Witch Hunt, especially not today. I simply close my beautiful blue eyes, sometimes, listen intensely, and take it ALL in!!!â Trump wrote.
Whether Trump was simply trying to âtake it all inâ with his âbeautiful blue eyesâ closed in Saudi Arabia remains unclear.
