Donald Trump appeared to fall asleep during a public event for the second time in a week as the US president seemed unable to keep his eyes open during a signing ceremony
Donald Trump appeared to nod off once more during a live television broadcast as worries about his health continue. The US president seemed to drift off in public for the second occasion this week, this time whilst welcoming leaders from Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
He was putting pen to paper on agreements with Congo and Rwanda that the White House anticipates will create fresh opportunities for the USA to gain access to vital minerals.
This follows Trump appearing to doze during his own cabinet meeting on Monday. Whilst Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed the conflict in Ukraine, Trump’s head drooped forward and his eyes shut, and at moments he appeared perilously close to sliding off his chair.
During this latest incident, he once again seemed to be battling to keep his eyes open throughout the proceedings. One social media commentator, who identifies as a Democrat, posted footage of the Republican president on X, stating: “Trump just fell asleep again. This keeps happening. He’s obviously not okay and anyone who believes he’s healthy is lying to themselves. We’re screwed.”
Trump received Presidents Felix Tshisekedi of Congo and Paul Kagame of Rwanda, along with several officials from other African nations who journeyed to Washington to observe the signing ceremony, during the same week he scornfully dismissed the war-ravaged nation of Somalia and declared he did not want migrants from the East African country entering the US.
The signing of a peace agreement in Washington provided Trump with yet another chance to showcase his achievements on television, but his obvious fatigue means concerns about his wellbeing will persist, reports the Mirror.
During Monday’s Cabinet meeting, Rubio was discussing the difficulties of securing a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine. However, viewers found themselves focused on Trump’s condition, with one posting: “Trump falls asleep as Rubio talks about the war in Ukraine!”.
Another person commented: “OMG, Trump actually publicly fell asleep during his cabinet meeting at 2pm. MAGA won’t be able to explain this low stamina away. He was up all night posting and didn’t sleep!”.
“Trump dozes while Marco Rubio speaks to him, directly next to him. Just insane optics,” someone else agreed.
Trump continues to face growing concerns over his wellbeing, despite the White House maintaining that he remains in “exceptional health”.
Last month Trump was captured on camera gripping firmly to the handrails whilst exiting Marine One as a specialist questioned potential dementia signs. He was coming down the helicopter steps in Washington DC before heading to the awaiting Air Force One which transported him to Palm Beach.
The president was also seen hobbling up the Air Force One stairs in June. The manner in which he has been observed favouring his left leg has sparked questions about whether this might indicate dementia.
It was observed that Trump was deliberately planting his left leg firmly. Following the incident, a psychologist highlighted a “telltale” sign in Trump’s right leg that could be indicative of a particular form of dementia.
“If you observe the way he walks, he exhibits what is known as a leg swing, where he sort of swings his right leg in a semicircle as if it’s a dead weight, and he’s merely swinging it around,” elucidated Dr. John Gartner.
He further stated: “It’s very apparent in some footage and not so much in others, but that right leg swing is considered to be highly diagnostic of a specific type of dementia, Frontotemporal dementia.”
Meanwhile, Trump underwent preventative cardiovascular and abdominal checks as part of an MRI scan, the White House has confirmed.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters during a briefing that “men in his age group benefit from thorough evaluation of cardiovascular and abdominal health”.
She added that after the speculation raised by his health, the checks found his heart was “perfectly normal”.
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