Napping During Saudi Event Broadcast Live
Once Mocked Biden as "Sleepy Joe"
Now Nicknamed "Sleepy Don" in Return
Donald Trump, the President of the United States, who is currently visiting Saudi Arabia, was seen appearing to doze off during a live broadcast of an official event, sparking a wave of ridicule across local social media platforms. In particular, Trump, who had previously mocked former President Joe Biden for dozing off by calling him 'Sleepy Joe' (sleepy Joe Biden), has now earned the nickname 'Sleepy Don' (sleepy Donald) himself.
Donald Trump, President of the United States, visiting Saudi Arabia, was seen dozing off during a live-broadcast official event. Photo by Fox News
According to The Daily Beast on May 13 (local time), President Trump was caught on live broadcast by Fox News and other outlets dozing off while seated during a signing ceremony held at the royal palace in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia.
In the live footage, President Trump appeared tired and sleepy during the morning signing ceremony, closing his eyes, suddenly opening them, and seeming to snap awake. At one point, he kept his eyes closed until an official beside him spoke to him, prompting him to nod abruptly before closing his eyes again for several seconds. An American journalist shared a video of this moment on X (formerly Twitter), writing, "Trump is struggling to keep his eyes open in Saudi Arabia."
On platforms such as X and Instagram, videos of the incident quickly spread, generating a flood of memes and ridicule. One user shared the footage and sarcastically commented, "Trump can't stay awake and has no idea what's going on." Many users also mocked Trump by referencing his previous "age attacks" against former President Joe Biden.
During the last presidential campaign, President Trump targeted former President Biden-who is only three years and seven months older than him-by questioning Biden's stamina and cognitive abilities. In 2021, when Biden was seen dozing off during the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) summit in Scotland, Trump dubbed him 'Sleepy Joe' (sleepy Joe).
However, now that President Trump, who set the record as the "oldest US president in history" at 78 years and 219 days on his inauguration day, is being mocked in return for his own age, the tables have turned. Social media users shared videos of Trump with the nickname 'Sleepy Don' (sleepy Donald). One X user, calling Trump 'Sleepy Don,' pointed out, "If President Biden had done this, there would have been endless coverage questioning his cognitive and health status."
An image created by capturing moments of former U.S. President Donald Trump dozing off at various public events. X
Meanwhile, President Trump will continue his overseas trip, visiting Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) after Saudi Arabia until May 16. This is his first official overseas trip since his inauguration in January. During his first term, Trump also chose Saudi Arabia as his first overseas destination. If, as proposed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Russian President Vladimir Putin attends the Istanbul peace talks in person on May 15, President Trump could make a surprise appearance at the negotiations during his Middle East tour.
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