Trump Appears to Doze Off During Live Oval Office Event as Video of Him Mocking 'Sleepy Joe' Biden Resurfaces

President Donald Trump, 79, appeared to nod off during a live televised event at the Oval Office on 23 April, drawing renewed scrutiny over his health and alertness. The incident occurred during a drug pricing announcement with pharmaceutical company Regeneron, where Trump's eyes were observed closing fully, reopening, and then fluttering shut again as Cabinet members and company executives stood behind him.

The moment quickly went viral, but what amplified the backlash was a resurfaced clip from 2024 in which Trump had boasted about Joe Biden's tendency to fall asleep on camera. In that recording, Trump said of Biden: 'He has an ability to fall asleep while on camera... in minutes, he's stone-cold out, and he's got cameras because he's the president... You'll never see me sleeping in front of a camera.' The contrast between that pledge and Thursday's footage was not lost on social media users.

From Drug Deals to Drooping Eyes

Trump had gathered top Cabinet officials, health sector leaders, and drug company executives in the Oval Office to announce a pricing deal with Regeneron — the 17th pharmaceutical company to reach an agreement with his administration under his most-favoured-nation initiative. Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr and Dr Mehmet Oz, the Administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, were both present for the announcement.

Roughly halfway through the televised remarks, Trump's eyes grew visibly heavy. They closed fully, reopened, then fluttered shut multiple times again while Cabinet members and pharmaceutical executives stood behind him. The White House maintained that the president was not asleep. Chief of Staff Susie Wiles stated he simply had his eyes closed and his head leaned back.

Journalist Aaron Rupar was among the first to share the footage on X, writing that Trump was 'about to hit REM on camera during an Oval Office event,' adding 'it's just incredible.' Former Republican congressman Adam Kinzinger also weighed in, sarcastically posting: 'He's so tuckered out. Poor guy works 4 hour days what do you expect???!!!'

A Doctor's Concern

CNN medical analyst Dr Jonathan Reiner, who previously served as cardiologist to Vice President Dick Cheney, shared the video on X with his own recommendation for the president. 'When a patient tells me that they can't stay awake in meetings, we do formal sleep testing to look for sleep apnea,' Reiner wrote. 'I'm sure the White House medical team has done this, but the president continues to struggle with daytime somnolence.'

Reiner told CNN host Jake Tapper: 'He's fallen asleep in a crowded Oval Office and he's also fallen asleep at Cabinet meetings with people talking directly to him. That's what's called increased daytime somnolence.' The cardiologist added that sleep apnea — a condition in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep — is one possible explanation, though he stopped short of a formal diagnosis.

Not the First Time

This incident follows a string of comparable episodes. In March, Trump was photographed with his eyes shut and head jerking during a public safety roundtable in Memphis, Tennessee. Days before that, the president appeared to struggle to stay awake during a Cabinet meeting as Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth was addressing the audience.

Trump had previously dismissed such footage. In September 2024, he said 'How do you fall asleep when cameras are raging, right?' and told podcast host Andrew Schulz the same month: 'You'll never see me sleeping in front of the camera.' He has since denied falling asleep at White House events, telling New York magazine: 'It's boring as hell... I'm hearing every word, and I can't wait to get out.'

Questions have been raised about Trump's health since last year, with him repeatedly appearing to doze off during live events. The focus sharpened in late November 2025 after a New York Times article said he had sharply reduced his public events, domestic travel, and working hours compared to his first term. Whether or not Thursday's Oval Office moment constitutes a medical concern, the resurfaced footage of his mockery of Biden has ensured the story carries weight that goes well beyond one drowsy afternoon.