‘Commander in Sleep’: Trump ridiculed after seeming to doze off during cabinet meeting

President Trump has long leaned on his vigor and tireless energy as a cornerstone of his public image, but many observers now argue that maintaining that persona is becoming increasingly difficult.

Recently released photos of the president have sparked a wave of online discussion, with many people noting that he appears noticeably more fatigued.

Is Trump Showing More Fatigue Now?

At 79 years old, Donald Trump is the oldest individual ever elected president. He frequently uses this fact to compare himself to — and mock — former President Joe Biden, who at 82 became the oldest to hold the office. In one particularly pointed instance, Trump placed a photograph of an autopen in the spot where Biden’s portrait would usually hang in the White House.

“He sleeps constantly — daytime, nighttime, on the beach,” Trump said about Biden in November. “I’m not a sleeper.”

But according to The New York Times, there are clear indicators that Trump himself seems more tired now than he did during his first term.

Americans see him in public far less often. A Times analysis shows he has fewer public events and significantly fewer domestic trips compared to this stage of his presidency in 2017 — though he has increased his international travel schedule.

His daily agenda has also become noticeably shorter, with most of his appearances occurring between noon and 5 p.m.

His Eyes Appeared to Droop

Now, a new photo from Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting has ignited controversy on social media. During the lengthy session, the 79-year-old president appeared to struggle to stay awake. His eyes were visibly drooping, especially after he had each Cabinet member outline their accomplishments from his first year in office.

The meeting lasted two hours and 17 minutes, covering numerous issues, including Trump’s assertive strategy against drug trafficking, concerns about his own health, and a forceful critique of Somali migrants.

Online, users were quick to pounce, nicknaming him “Dozy Don” and “Commander in Sleep.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed these interpretations, insisting that the president remained energetic throughout.

“President Trump was listening closely and leading the entire three-hour marathon Cabinet meeting,” she told the Daily Mail.

He Criticized Journalists for Questioning His Health

In recent weeks, scrutiny over Trump’s health has intensified, with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz urging him to release his MRI results.

Trump complied, and on Monday, December 1, the White House published results confirming a “perfectly normal” MRI with no issues.

Before briefly closing his eyes during the meeting, Trump lashed out at reporters for their persistent questions about his health:

“You always find something new, like, ‘Is he in good health?’” he said, adding sarcastically, “Biden was great.”

“I sit here and do four press conferences a day,” he continued. “I take questions from highly intelligent lunatics — you people. I give the right answers. There’s never a scandal, never a problem. I give you answers and solve your little problems. You go back and you can’t find anything, but you still write stories about Biden being in wonderful health. The guy couldn’t hold a press conference for eight months.”

He added, “If I go one day without doing a press conference, suddenly it’s ‘something’s wrong with the president.’ I’ll let you know if something’s wrong. Someday it will be — that happens to everyone. But right now, I think I’m sharper than I was 25 years ago, but who knows.”

Trump’s “Amazing Final Answer”

Trump’s passionate defense of his health came early in the meeting, but about 90 minutes in, he seemed to struggle to stay awake as Cabinet members spoke — prompting the “Commander in Sleep” label online.

Leavitt countered the criticism by pointing to what she called Trump’s “amazing final answer” to reporters, during which he launched into a fierce attack on Somali migrants.

“Watch his incredible final response in the press conference,” she said, according to People. “He tore into the America-Last Democrats for allowing radical Somali migrants to flood our country and steal from American taxpayers. This powerful moment put an exclamation point on President Trump’s ninth Cabinet meeting of his second term — meetings that have all been completely open to the press for the entire world to see.”

She added, “In all of these historic meetings, the president and his exceptional team highlight the extensive list of achievements they’ve delivered for the American people to Make America Great Again.”

During the meeting, Trump also targeted Representative Ilhan Omar, who was born in Somalia:

“She’s garbage, her friends are garbage,” he said. “These aren’t people who work. These aren’t people who say, ‘Let’s make this place great.’ They just complain.”

“And they complain and complain and do nothing but b***h,” he continued. “We don’t want them here. Let them go back to where they came from and fix that.”