Donald Trump, 80, Dozes Off at First Event With Wife Melania in a Month: Photo

President Donald Trump appeared drowsy and closed his eyes during a White House Rose Garden event on Thursday, August 20, where the elusive and recently AWOL Melania Trump made her first public appearance in a month.

The first lady poked fun at her absence during her remarks, opening with the quip, “I heard you missed me. Here I am.”

Melania reemerged after a month-long absence from public events, last being seen at the FIFA World Cup Final on July 19.

The White House gathering focused on expanding her Fostering the Future Initiative, announcing new educational and scholarship partnerships, and comes as a scandal is brewing surrounding her husband’s “heartsick” and “infatuated” 35-year-old aide, Natalie Harp.

Speculation about the 80-year-old president's alertness stems from recent incidents, including footage from a Cabinet meeting in which he appeared to struggle to keep his eyes open.

The elderly president has reportedly been seen dozing off or closing his eyes during at least 14 public events and official meetings over the past year, sparking widespread media scrutiny, online memes and health debates.

While critics have frequently revived nicknames like “The Nodfather” and "Dozy Don," the White House and administration officials consistently deny that he is sleeping, often stating that he is just blinking, listening attentively, or momentarily bored.

On August 10, Trump appeared highly drowsy, slumping in his chair, tilting his head, and closing his eyes for extended moments during an executive order ceremony featuring Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and NIH Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya.

Footage also captured the president sitting quietly during an August White House mining roundtable, rubbing his head and lowering his gaze, eyes closed, for several moments while a speaker addressed the room.

Trump himself addressed one of the Cabinet incidents to a reporter for New York Magazine, admitting his eyes were closed but claiming it was because the meeting "got pretty boring" and he "wanted to get the h--- out of there.”

Doctors say it’s more than boredom that’s causing the president to snooze.

Dr. Jonathan Reiner, a cardiologist and CNN medical analyst, explicitly diagnosed Trump with this condition on-air, defining it as an uncontrollable urge to drift off during the day. He called the pattern of Trump passing out mid-meeting "most disturbing.”

Dr. Reiner further posited that the president likely has sleep apnea — a condition where breathing repeatedly stops and starts at night — preventing restful sleep and causing sudden daytime micro-naps.

The doctor, along with many of his colleagues, has warned that chronic, untreated daytime somnolence can lower cognitive function, precipitate or worsen neurodegenerative disorders and increase the risk of cardiac events.

“If you had to worry that your pilot in the cockpit was going to fall asleep during landing or takeoff, you would probably not fly on that airplane. So why is it acceptable in this country at this time, in this perilous time, for the president of the United States to have a really dramatic problem staying awake?" Reiner said.