Trump Caught Nodding Off as Pete Hegseth Praises Him (Video)

President Donald Trump may insist he is “not a big sleeper,” but cameras appeared to catch him fighting to stay awake during a public event this week — right as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was praising him for supposedly “rebuilding” the U.S. military.

The awkward moment unfolded during a roundtable at the U.S. Army War College, where Trump sat alongside Hegseth, Republican Sen. David McCormick, JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon and other business figures.

BREAKING: Trump falls asleep during a public event again.

This is elder abuse. It must end. 25th Amendment now! pic.twitter.com/eAKgBQXUtr

— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) July 15, 2026

As Hegseth spoke, Trump could be seen closing his eyes for several seconds before opening them and looking in the defense secretary’s direction. But the apparent burst of alertness did not last long. Moments later, the 80-year-old president shut his eyes again and sat motionless for roughly 30 seconds.

The timing made the clip especially brutal for Trump’s critics. As Hegseth credited him with “rebuilding” the military, Trump appeared to be drifting off in front of the cameras.

He seemed to snap back when Hegseth said the word “president,” but by then, the internet had already seized on the moment.

Critics quickly lit up social media, with some accusing Trump’s team of propping him up despite repeated public episodes that have raised questions about his stamina.

“Trump falls asleep during a public event again. This is elder abuse. It must end. 25th Amendment now,” one critic wrote, referring to the constitutional amendment that allows a president to be removed if they are unable to carry out the duties of the office.

Another user blasted the president for repeatedly mocking former President Joe Biden as “Sleepy Joe,” writing: “Come on, everyone, invoke 25th. Trump is incapable of doing his duties. He b-tches about sleepy Joe… he falls asleep on the world and home stage.”

Others took aim at Hegseth, the former Fox News personality turned Pentagon chief.

“With Pete Hegseth talking, how could anyone not fall asleep?” one person joked.

Another critic suggested Trump’s repeated public dozing did not match his recent boasting about his mental sharpness, writing: “He has to be bribing the guy doing his cognitive tests.”

Trump recently claimed he scored a “perfect 30 out of 30” on a cognitive test and bragged on Truth Social that it was his fourth flawless result.

“This is my fourth such test, all PERFECT or 120 correct answers out of 120 questions asked!” Trump wrote. “It is very rare that anyone gets a Perfect Score, especially when achieved four times in a row.”

He also argued that “all people running for President and Vice President should be forced to take high difficulty Cognitive Tests.”

But the Army War College moment is not the first time Trump has appeared to nod off in public.

Just last month, he was caught on camera with his eyes closed while seated cageside during UFC Freedom 250 at the White House. Days before that, he was seen struggling to keep his eyes open during a meeting in the Oval Office.

The public episodes have created an uncomfortable contrast with Trump’s own attacks on Biden’s age and energy, a central theme of his political messaging for years.

They have also fueled growing chatter about the president’s health and whether the White House is being fully transparent with the public.

During a speech at the G7 summit in France in June, Trump insisted there was nothing to worry about.

“I’m not a big sleeper anyway,” he said.

Still, critics have continued to point to the repeated camera moments as evidence that Trump, now the oldest president ever elected, may not be as vigorous as he claims.

Democratic strategist James Carville has also predicted Trump may not finish his second term, arguing that the pressure surrounding his administration is only getting worse.

Carville made the comments after the release of Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump, the bombshell book by New York Times reporters Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan. The book includes embarrassing claims about Trump’s inner circle, his eating habits and the chaotic culture around him.

“If you work in that snake pit, you can’t say anything, you can’t do anything,” Carville said on his Politics War Room podcast. “As out of his mind as he is, [he] knows that he’s surrounded by traitors. He knows he’s surrounded by leakers. He knows that everything he does is going to be leaked to the next person writing the next book.”

Carville then issued a dramatic prediction: “When I tell you that this thing is in its last days, I’m telling you this thing is in its last days.”

The White House has pushed back on questions about Trump’s health and has denied separate reports claiming the president received access to an experimental obesity drug through the FDA’s compassionate-use program.

That program is typically reserved for patients with serious or life-threatening conditions who cannot access investigational treatments through standard clinical trials.

For now, the White House insists Trump is fit and fully in command. But every time the cameras catch him with his eyes closed during another high-profile event, his critics get fresh ammunition — and the “Sleepy Joe” attack line comes roaring back in a way Trump may not enjoy.