Trump, 80, Struggles to Stay Awake in Weird Oval Office Display
Did the president forget to take a Diet Coke break?
President Donald Trump again appeared to drift in and out of sleep during a scheduled Oval Office event on Friday.
Sitting at the Resolute Desk surrounded by Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and ranchers from around the country, including at least three men in cowboy hats, Trump visibly struggled to stay awake as Rollins discussed the two executive orders he had just signed.
Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins speaks before Trump signs executive orders related to beef processing and cattle ranchers.
Kent Nishimura/AFP via Getty Images
With her body turned toward Trump, and her words directed at the aging president, Rollins appeared to be attempting to engage him so that he would not succumb to the delights of slumber.
Trump repeatedly blinked and let his eyes close for long periods.
Having already signed the two orders aimed at protecting and promoting American beef, Trump appeared uninterested in what was happening around him. At one point, he closed his eyes as Rollins was speaking directly to him.
This is not the first time Trump has struggled to stay awake during an official event.
Get the best of The Beast delivered right to your inbox
By clicking “SUBSCRIBE” you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
During an hour-long event last month that gave the elderly president a chance to laud new agreements with drug companies, Trump closed his eyes for more than 20 seconds.
There have now been at least 22 occasions on which Trump has been caught appearing to snooze at public events.
August was a busy month for sleepy slips. On Aug. 10, Trump slumped over in his chair as he struggled to keep his eyes open during an afternoon event to sign an executive order on childhood vaccines.
He also appeared to fall asleep repeatedly at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in July.
His frequent doziness has sparked concerns among observers over Trump’s ailing health and how to keep the president awake and engaged during the day.
Not even the mention of foe Joe Biden did the trick in the Oval Office on Friday afternoon.
Trump gets some shut eye during an Oval Office meeting.
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
As Rollins brandished the charts Trump had asked her to present, she took a jab at the man Trump nicknamed “Sleepy Joe.”
“We talk about 2023 just being a catas… catas… catastrophic year for farmers and ranchers,” Rollins said, stumbling over the word “catastrophic.”
Donald Trump has denied falling asleep during events at the White House, insisting he was just resting his eyes.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
“That was the year that we began to import more food for the first time, under Joe Biden.”
Trump’s eyes briefly fluttered open at the mention, but then as Rollins pivoted to “again, freedom—if you can’t feed yourself,” the president’s eyes were again closed.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
See more of our coverage in your search results.
Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.
Register below to read this article for free or subscribe
to unlock unlimited access to The Daily Beast.
Monthly
$1
First month then $5.99/month
Annual
$35
First year then $59.99/year
Premium
$79
First year then $119.99/year
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Already have an account? Sign In
Looks like you already have a subscription!
You're all set!
Thanks for subscribing.
Sign in or create an account
Login dialog
Loading comments…