DOZY DON

Trump, 80, Repeatedly Slumps in Chair Ahead of Midterm Blitz

The president’s health has long come under scrutiny, but all the more so as he barnstorms the country in the final stretch of the campaign.

Donald Trump repeatedly slumped in his chair during an economic announcement on Wednesday, renewing questions about his stamina in the final stretch of the midterm election campaign.

Trump, 80, held an afternoon event to announce that millions of children will be automatically enrolled in his so-called “Trump Accounts,” which give eligible children a one-time $1,000 federal government contribution.

But as the president called on others to speak—including Dell Technologies chief Michael Dell, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and Texas Senator Ted Cruz—he often slumped over in his chair and appeared low on energy as he later took questions.

The scenes came shortly before Trump was due to travel to Texas on Wednesday afternoon for another rally to help embattled Senate candidate Ken Paxton.

The president’s health has long come under scrutiny, but all the more so as he barnstorms the country trying to drum up support for the GOP ahead of the November 3 election.

Trump is embarking on what aides are calling an all-out blitz of campaign rally appearances in support of vulnerable candidates, even in places Republicans would normally be safe.

In the last week alone, he has visited Oklahoma, Alabama, Ohio, Texas and Nebraska, begging supporters to show up in force—even if it means voting by mail after years of the president railing against it.

“So what I really want you to do is pretend, please, that I’m on the ballot. Just come and vote,” he urged supporters.

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Dozy Trump, 80, Slumps Over as He Struggles to Stay Awake

Sarah Ewall-Wice

But the travel schedule is grueling and often requires late nights—last week, for example, the president did not return to the White House from an out-of-state trip until 2:54 a.m.

Wednesday’s event was the latest in a series of events in recent months while on camera, where he either appeared slumped over, shifting in his chair or struggling to keep his eyes open as others spoke.

Doctors have told the Daily Beast that Trump’s late-night social media posting frenzies are unlikely to help.

In one of his latest posting sprees, the president wrongly claimed that “125 Million People voted today in the first round of India’s Presidential Election.”

But it was Brazil that went to the polls on Sunday, with right-wing candidate Flávio Bolsonaro, the son of jailed former president and Trump ally Jair Bolsonaro, taking a narrow lead over left-wing incumbent Lula da Silva.

The White House nevertheless insists Trump is firing on all cylinders as he criss-crosses the country urging people to help the GOP keep its majority in Congress.

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“Can everybody just close your eyes and pretend I’m on the ballot?” he begged the crowd at a rally in Mobile, Alabama last week.

After the Oval Office event, the president boarded Marine One for his latest trip to Texas.

The visit to San Antonio is the second time the president has headed to the Lone Star state in less than a week, or the fourth a month.

Rather than sticking with incumbent John Cornyn, Trump backed the trouble-plagued Paxton - even as he faced a securities-fraud case, FBI scrutiny, impeachment and allegations of bribery and abuse of office—then watched Paxton’s campaign become a genuine headache.

Republican groups have already poured more than $100 million into saving the embattled GOP candidate amid polls showing Democrat James Talarico slightly ahead.

Asked if he regretted endorsing Paxton, Trump said no. “He was a great attorney general, I think he’ll be a great senator,” he told reporters.

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Farrah TomazinPolitical Correspondent

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