Donald Trump has been accused of dozing off during the UFC cage fight hosted at the White House to mark his 80th birthday. The US President appeared to be enjoying some much needed shut-eye while he sat next to UFC president Dana White.
Last night (June 14), the White House lawn was turned into an arena for a brutal evening of cage fights for the UFC Freedom 250 between MMA fighters Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje. As the fighters wrestled their way to defeat the other in the cage, a video of Trump allegedly falling asleep mid-event has gone viral on social media.
Captured on live TV and later shared on social media, the 80-year-old was seen leaning slightly towards White and appearing drowsy with his eyes closed. The video caption read: "Trump fell asleep at UFC Freedom 250 on the White House lawn, his 80th birthday event."
The US president appeared to snooze off during the event. Following the event, Trump wrote on his Truth Social network on Monday morning, congratulating the success of the event: "The UFC at the White House last night was incredible... The White House has never looked more beautiful. The setting was unsurpassed! The weather was scheduled to be horrendous, and it turned out to be PERFECT! So much for weather predicting."
However, this is not the first time Trump was accused of sleeping at public events. Last week, he may also have fallen asleep during NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden in New York City. He sat with Knicks owner James Dolan in a private box and his action was branded as "the most expensive taxpayer-funded nap" by social media users. The week before, he appeared to be nodding off in the Oval Office during a press briefing with Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum.
Some eagle-eyed viewers also spotted Trump's "pale-looking hand" and prompted online debate about his health. One person said: "Trump, his hand visibly discoloured, looks every bit of 80 as he poses with Dana White." Another implied Trump was trying to hide an injury on his hand: "Now you know why he salutes rather than placing his hand on where his heart is supposed to be."
Last month Trump had a three-hour medical appointment at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, and physician Dr Sean Barbabell said the president is in good health. He stated in a medical report that Trump received a CT scan and additional cardiac imaging, along with cancer screenings and other preventative assessments conducted by 22 additional specialists.
