HEALTH'Slumped Over' Donald Trump Caught Nodding Off During Event as Health Rumors Swirl: Watch
Donald Trump's latest public nap has sparked concerns for the octogenarian's fitness for office.
July 16 2026, Published 1:36 p.m. ET
President Donald Trump appeared to doze off during a Wednesday, July 15 roundtable at the Pennsylvania Defense and Innovation Summit. Footage circulated showed the president’s eyes drooping as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth praised his leadership at the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, Penn.
The 80-year-old president struggled to keep his eyes open while seated at the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, Penn., alongside Hegseth and Republican Sen. David McCormick.
Trump's daytime drowsiness set in as Hegseth showered him with compliments on his leadership of the department.
Donald Trump Was Caught Dozing Off
Donald Trump appeared to nod off while Pete Hegseth spoke.
The roundtable discussion included military leaders, technology executives and business figures like billionaire banker Jamie Dimon.
Trump used the event to announce an expected $10 billion in pledged investments from domestic defense and tech firms, though he also drifted into rally-style topics including windmills, steam catapults and the Battle of Gettysburg.
Republicans Against Trump posted it on X, writing, “BREAKING: Trump falls asleep during a public event again. This is elder abuse. It must end. 25th Amendment now!”
The POTUS Was 'Slumped Over'
One writer claimed the president jolted awake when Pete Hegseth addressed him.
“The elderly president appeared to wage a losing fight against sleep, sitting slumped over with his eyes shut,” wrote Erkki Forster for The Daily Beast, which has been relentless in its intrepid coverage of the president’s physical and mental decline.
“But even with his body angled towards Hegseth, Trump appeared motionless and slumping with his eyes shut for roughly 20 seconds as the defense secretary credited him with having 'rebuilt' the military twice, so that things like regime change in Venezuela can continue to be done,” Forster noted. “Trump, who fired off his first Truth Social of the day at 6:16 a.m., only perked up when Hegseth mentioned the words ‘president,’ with his eyes popping open at that sound.”
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The Republican has been caught with his eyes closed on a handful of occasions this year.
This event adds to a string of highly publicized instances where the president has appeared to nod off or battle fatigue during official daytime duties over the past year.
In June, he was seen sleeping during the third game of the NBA Finals, and earlier that month, he had his eyes closed in the Oval Office while EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin spoke to reporters.
Dozy Don also faced intense online scrutiny after appearing to doze off during a Memorial Day ceremony honoring fallen military personnel.
Inside Donald Trump's Alleged 'Insomina'
Dr. Jonathan Reiner thinks the president has 'severe daytime somnolence.'
That incident came just after he appeared to fall asleep during a healthcare affordability briefing in the Oval Office.
And in July 2025, he was caught nodding forward with his eyes closed for nearly 20 seconds during a similar Pennsylvania Energy and Innovation Summit in Pittsburgh.
“The president has severe daytime somnolence. He falls asleep very often ... And chronic insomnia is a severe illness. It can increase risk of dementia, a decrease in cognitive effects in older people,” said Dr. Jonathan Reiner, prominent cardiologist and Professor of Medicine and Surgery at George Washington University School of Medicine.
