Concern has been raised over Donald Trump's health after he appeared to struggle to keep his eyes open while campaigning. The US President was speaking to voters at rallies before the mid-term elections on Tuesday, November 3.
Rallies in Kansas and Iowa
The Republicans could lose control of Congress amid a drop in support for Mr Trump in the polls. The President appeared in Salina, Kansas, and Dubuque, Iowa, on Sunday — two states he easily won in 2024.
“We’re going to elect ‘America first’ Republicans up and down the line,” he said near the start of a speech that lasted two hours. Republican candidates are facing a firm challenge from Democrats in these areas.
Mr Trump was late arriving in Kansas, where Air Force One performed a flyover before landing for an outdoor airport rally, AP reported. Hundreds of people started leaving midway through his nearly 90-minute speech, which did not end until nearly 10pm local time. “This is our last stop. We’re closing it down tonight,” the President said.
Observers Express Concern
Observers shared their concern at Mr Trump seeming to have his eyes closed a lot. @atrupar wrote on X: "Trump's eyes are barely open as he slurs his way through one of his last 2026 rallies in Iowa."
@ChetterHub added: "That rally looks less like a campaign stop and more like someone forgot to wake Grandpa before the family reunion. The microphone is on, the eyes are closing, and the speech is wandering off without him." It was also suggested that Mr Trump looked "fatigued".
Age and Previous Incidents
Mr Trump is 80 years old. He was the oldest person ever to be inaugurated as President in January 2025, aged 78 years and 220 days. Joe Biden was 78 years and 61 days old when he started his term in the White House.
It comes after the President sparked concern when he paused his speech to reach for a tissue and a glass of water. He seemed to have difficulty keeping one eye open, so he asked the crowd if he could stop for a moment to rectify the problem.
Mr Trump said: "Do you mind? I got a thing in my eye – watch this." He then quickly tried to downplay the moment, adding: "I wish I had a little eye drops, but if I did, they'd say 'he's seriously ill, there's something wrong with him'."
An X user wrote: "Oh, we know there's something wrong with him." Another account added: "OMG. This man is not the comedian he thinks he is. He's seriously declining."
