Trump Appears to Nod Off at Saudi Ceremony, Sparking Health Speculation and Political Debate
During a high-profile welcoming ceremony in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, former President Donald Trump appeared to briefly fall asleep while seated in an ornate gold chair. A viral video circulating on social media shows the 78-year-old jolting awake after someone addresses him.
The moment quickly drew comparisons to past criticism of President Joe Biden’s age-related missteps. A Daily Beast headline read, “Sleepy Trump Caught on Camera Nodding Off at Summit in Saudi,” flipping the nickname once used against Biden. Journalist Aaron Rupar commented on X: “Trump is having a hard time keeping his eyes open.”
Critics pointed to this as part of a broader pattern. A separate photo from a meeting with Syrian ministers and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman showed Trump slumped in his seat, chin to chest.
Concerns have reportedly been raised within the White House as well. According to the Daily Mail, sources close to Trump say he may be relying more on his wife, Melania, not just for emotional support but also for physical stability. One insider claimed, “The president is getting older. His gait is not as steady.”
Despite these observations, Trump allies are pushing back hard. A senior aide told the Daily Mail that these reports are “false smears” and politically motivated.
Trump, who would become the oldest sitting U.S. president if elected again, has drawn attention not just for signs of physical fatigue but for what some claim is a decline in mental sharpness. MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell speculated that Trump may be showing “early signs of dementia.” Timothy L. O’Brien, a Bloomberg Opinion editor, said Trump now “slurs his words, looks weary, and slouches.”
Trump’s family history adds fuel to the speculation. His father, Fred Trump, died at 93 from Alzheimer’s disease and pneumonia. His nephew, Fred Trump III, told People magazine that he sees parallels between Donald Trump’s current behavior and Fred Sr.’s decline.
At the same time, a new book titled Original Sin—by CNN’s Jake Tapper and Axios’s Alex Thompson—claims President Biden’s aides tried to conceal signs of severe cognitive decline. The book alleges Biden struggled with recognition, including failing to recognize actor George Clooney at a 2024 fundraiser. It also claims staffers edited videos with “jump cuts” to hide Biden’s stammering and physical frailty.
The comparison between Trump and Biden has reignited partisan debate. Critics argue that media outlets have been quicker to scrutinize Trump’s stumbles than Biden’s, citing how The New York Times covered Trump’s cautious walk down a ramp in 2020 as a health concern, while portraying videos of Biden’s stumbles as misleading or overblown.
“The American people deserve to know if their president is mentally up for the job,” Democratic strategist Max Burns wrote in The Hill, suggesting Trump take a public cognitive test—just as some have demanded of Biden.
Whether Trump will accept that challenge is unclear. His allies dismiss the criticism as politically motivated. One insider said, “President Trump is traveling the world securing trillions in investments. These false smears are just a distraction from the Biden team’s own challenges.”
Another close adviser said, “Trump exhausts staffers a third his age. He’s on camera every day, striking peace and trade deals. Meanwhile, Biden was praised for just walking and talking.”
Trump’s team points to a jam-packed international travel schedule as proof of his stamina. He stood for over an hour during a speech in Riyadh, met with American troops in Qatar, and continued on to the UAE within days.
In a February interview with the New York Post, Trump said his workdays run from 6 a.m. to midnight, noting, “There’s no time for beach trips or naps like Sleepy Joe.”
A White House medical report from April supports his claims, stating Trump is in “great health,” with “no abnormalities” in neurological or cognitive testing.
Even one of Biden’s former science advisers, Dr. David Kessler, acknowledged Trump’s physical improvements in The Atlantic, noting a 20-pound weight loss and a significant drop in LDL (bad) cholesterol.
