President Donald Trump sparked fresh health concerns after he appeared to fall asleep live on air during the Pennsylvania Defence and Innovation Summit. Sitting beside Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth on a panel, Trump struggled to keep his eyes open as Hegseth praised his leadership, according to footage broadcast on news channels and shared on X.
What Happened at the Summit?
As Hegseth spoke, Trump seemed to slip in and out of consciousness, not acknowledging the praise. Hegseth said: "You shouldn't have to sue your way into the Department of War, which is what companies in the past have had to do in order to compete. I hope these companies can attest to the fact that because of President Trump's leadership, we have an entirely different department." Trump did not respond.
The moment was widely shared online, drawing reactions from users. One wrote: "At this point it might be easier to point out when he's not sleeping." Another joked: "They should call the operation Midday Slumber, because Donald will be sleeping through most of it."
Public Reactions
Some expressed empathy, with a user commenting: "That's wild that they let these meetings go on for so long since clearly he doesn't have the stamina for it." Others were more critical: "The only thing that Don Snoreleone does well is sleep on the job. He's the first nocturnal president, due to his late-night, incoherent Truth Social rants."
A fifth user calculated: "If Trump sleeps 1 minute every 10 minutes, that equals a power nap every hour." Another found humor: "Maybe… when he wakes, we can tell him this 2nd presidency thing was just a dream?"
Recent Incidents
Trump has appeared to fall asleep at public events several times in recent weeks. At the NATO summit in Turkey, he was seen wandering off after being greeted by President Recep Erdogan, who had to grab his hand to guide him back. Later that day, Trump appeared to fall asleep during a press conference with Erdogan, jolting awake after about 40 seconds.
Days earlier, he appeared to fall asleep during 4th July celebrations, drawing a huge online reaction. These incidents have fueled speculation about his health, though the White House has not commented.
