President Donald Trump once again seemed to give up on tuning into other people’s speeches.
The 80-year-old constantly struggles to stay alert in public. At times, something in the crowd grabs his attention as he looks down from the stage. Other times he’s fallen victim to doing the exact thing he’s repeatedly accused former President Joe Biden of.
Trump is back in the hot seat after footage from his recent state dinner at the White House became the site of the latest on-camera snoozefest.
Both and Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered speeches to an audience of government officials, business leaders, and media figures in the East Room on Sept. 24.
First Lady Melania Trump and Chinese First Lady Peng Liyuan also attended. But apparently, Xi’s remarks couldn’t hold Trump’s attention.
Xi, 73, addressed the room as an interpreter translated his statements into English. Trump sat behind him to his left. The two wives were seated to his right.
At one point, Xi announced that China would send two giant pandas, Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, to Zoo Atlanta in Georgia in the coming days as part of a new 10-year conservation agreement.
Trump could be seen squirming in his chair before he repeatedly blinked. He also appeared to keep them shut for an extended period.
The MAGA chief’s apparent struggle to resist nodding off turned into a brighter facial expression. He eventually began smiling after the interpreter relayed the message about the pandas in English.
Trump’s most recent example of battling drowsiness made waves online. Critics did not hold back in slamming the aging grandfather for shamefully representing the nation.
The idea that Trump had to fight sleep in a televised meeting led an X user to post, “Trump could barely keep his eyes open during a press conference with Xi.”
“DONALD TRUMP IS FALLING ASLEEP. Trump struggles to keep his eyes open as Xi announces a huge gift for the American people. This is absolute humiliation on the world stage,” read a tweet.
One commenter wrote, “The irony is he called Joe Biden, ‘Sleepy Joe.’ I never saw Joe Biden trying to stay awake at public events. This is an embarrassment to America.”
“He is amazing!” exclaimed one sarcastic poster. “He’s sleeping sitting up. [He’s] the only person in the world who can do this; he’s the best, if not one of the best. No one’s ever seen anything like it before. People are saying we have the best president who can do anything.”
Trump critic continued claiming that the president was either talking or sleeping, with seemingly nothing in between.
One comment read, “With the whole world watching… Donald Trump falls fast asleep while Xi Jinping is speaking at the US-China summit in Washington. Something is very, very wrong with Trump. He is clearly unfit to serve.”
“This is by far the most fierce and enduring battle with sleep that I’ve ever witnessed,” someone else joked.
Attending events with his global counterparts has not stopped Trump from snoozing in the past. In February, cameras caught him dozing during a Board of Peace meeting in Washington, D.C.
The Trump-established international organization brought together representatives from countries including Egypt, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, India, South Korea, and the United Kingdom.
Despite growing evidence that the president is less energetic and less physically fit in his later years, the administration has maintained that appearances can be deceiving.
“I’ve never seen him fall asleep. On the contrary, the guy doesn’t sleep, which is a big problem because he calls me at 2 in the morning,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio told the House Foreign Relations Committee in June.
Rubio, 55, faced significant criticism for defending his boss, particularly after the former U.S. senator had a front-row seat in July when Trump appeared to take a catnap during Sen. Lindsey Graham’s funeral.
The White House pushed back against accusations that Trump has struggled to keep his eyes open in public. An image from the Oval Office prompted an insult-laden clapback.
Back in May, the administration’s Rapid Response page rolled out the excuse for a closed-eyed Trump slumping down in a chair by tweeting, “He was blinking, you absolute moron.”
DONALD TRUMP IS FALLING ASLEEP
Trump struggles to keep his eyes open as Xi announces a huge gift for the American people. This is absolute humiliation on the world stage. pic.twitter.com/YY8D5yHeHi
— CALL TO ACTIVISM (@CalltoActivism) September 24, 2026
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