Donald Trump appeared to struggle to keep his eyes open during a campaign rally in Daytona Beach, Florida, on Friday, pausing to dab at his eye with a napkin dipped in water before telling the crowd: 'Ah, that's so much better.'
The 80-year-old US president was speaking to supporters ahead of Tuesday's midterm elections when he made the remark, then joked about needing eye drops, saying: 'I wish I had little eye drops.'
Health scrutiny and reinstated rallies
Trump then addressed critics who have questioned his health after he initially cancelled planned campaign rallies in Kansas and Iowa. 'If I did, they'd say I was seriously ill, that there's something wrong with me,' he said. The two events were later reinstated, with Trump now expected to visit both states on Sunday.
This comes after Trump blamed boredom, not sleep, for closing his eyes during a Cabinet meeting earlier this year. 'Some people said, he closed his eyes. Look, it got pretty boring,' Trump told laughing officials in the White House Cabinet Room on January 29. He also added: 'I didn't sleep, by the way. I don't sleep much.'
Clash with reporter and protesters
Throughout this week, the president has faced renewed scrutiny over his health and fitness, although he has insisted he feels 'perfect'. Just a day earlier, Trump lashed out at a Reuters reporter who asked whether he had cancelled the Kansas rally because he was tired of travelling. 'Oh, you're sick to ask that question. You are sick,' he replied, before calling the reporter a 'dope'. He then turned his attention to the journalist's appearance, saying: 'He's way out of shape.' Trump also told him: 'You are disgusting. Put yourself in shape. You look like hell.'
The Florida rally also saw several protesters interrupt the president, with Trump claiming they were being paid by billionaire Democratic donor George Soros. One protester wore a shirt calling for the release of files relating to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Midterm elections approaching
The event came just days before voters head to the polls on November 3, when control of Congress will be at stake.
