Trump Branded a 'Disgraceful Embarrassment' After Viral Video Shows POTUS Slumping Asleep in Erdogan Meeting

US President Donald Trump is facing intense online mockery and has been branded a 'disgraceful embarrassment' after a viral video showed him appearing to struggle to stay awake during a bilateral meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the NATO summit in Ankara on Tuesday.

The widely shared footage shows the 80-year-old leader seemingly fighting sleep as he listens to an interpreter. The visual moment occurred just after Trump made a series of 'false statements' at the summit. Before sitting down with the Turkish leader, he wrongly claimed that Greenland is surrounded by Chinese and Russian ships, while renewing calls for US control over the Danish territory.

On Wednesday, the president described Greenland as a big problem, outright telling NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte that he is not happy with NATO because of what they did with Greenland. Trump also used the meeting to repeat debunked claims that he has settled eight wars, and described the 2020 election, which Joe Biden won fairly, as a rigged election.

Viral Video Shows Trump Struggling To Wake

When it was finally Erdogan's turn to speak, the American president appeared to struggle to stay awake. In footage of the meeting that has gone viral on X, Trump's head can be seen drooping as his eyes close. He has his head tilted to the right and is nodding slightly as the translation feeds into his earpiece.

His eyes appear to close as he attempts to stay alert during the diplomatic exchange. At around the 45-second mark, he jolts upright and opens his eyes, appearing to fight sleep. On X, users described Trump as appearing to fall asleep, and the video has already been viewed more than 900,000 times.

Users Call Display A Disgraceful Embarrassment Online

The reaction on social media was swift and unforgiving. Users flooded the platform to criticise the president, calling the display 'disgraceful' and 'embarrassing' to the country. One user asked what happened to not being an embarrassment, while another demanded to know the whereabouts of his handlers.

A sharp reply suggested someone ought to shake him, wake him up, and let him know everyone saw him nod off. Another observer noted that he actually slumps over. Whether he is sleeping or not, the user wrote, he cannot sit up straight and is starting to doze, adding that someone should at least give the man some speed.

Critics Compare The Incident To Joe Biden

The irony of the situation did not go unnoticed. For months, Trump gleefully weaponised the moniker 'sleepy Biden' against his election rival, repeatedly claiming he was not fit for office. Now, those same accusations are being hurled back at him.

Several commenters wondered about the sheer scale of outrage if Joe Biden or Barack Obama had done this on the world stage. One user stated that supporters would have been calling for President Biden's impeachment if he had continued to fall asleep during meetings. Another agreed that conservative voters would normally state he was resting his eyes, adding a sarcastic suggestion to research dementia allegations. 'It was never sleepy Joe, a different critic concluded, it was always sleepy Don.'

Trump has been accused of falling asleep during several high-profile events lately, including his own 4 July fireworks show, multiple Oval Office press conferences, and Cabinet meetings.