Donald Trump has faced fresh allegations of dozing off during an official event, after the president appeared to fall asleep in an Oval Office meeting on tackling obesity. The 79-year-old was seen with his eyes closed at several points during the televised address, where his government announced lower prices for weight loss drugs for Medicare and Medicaid recipients.
Dr Mehmet Oz, the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said: “People can sleep again, because they can breathe when they go to bed.” Meanwhile, the president was photographed leaning back in his chair with his eyes shut. California Governor Gavin Newsom swiftly posted on social media: “Dozy Don is back!” – a reference to Trump’s own nickname for his predecessor, “Sleepy Joe” Biden.
This is not the first time Trump has been accused of nodding off during official engagements. Last month, he appeared to fall asleep during an “Antifa roundtable”, which led to Newsom coining the term “Dozy Don”. Other incidents include resting his eyes at an energy event in July, during cross-examination of his former attorney Michael Cohen, and at the start of his “hush money” trial involving Stormy Daniels.
Colorado Representative Lauren Boebert defended the president, suggesting he may have been praying rather than sleeping, adding: “But if he is sleeping, he certainly looks pretty while he sleeps.” Trump has long dismissed his need for sleep, telling supporters: “I’m not a big sleeper. I like three hours, four hours.” Attorney General Pam Bondi recently said no one in the White House “can keep up with him”, adding: “None of us know when he sleeps.”
The president, who became the oldest ever to be sworn in at 78, underwent an MRI scan last month, which he described as “perfect”. Events took an awkward turn when a man standing behind Trump stumbled and collapsed, apparently fainting, during the meeting.
