Nicolai Haugsted
Social media erupts after viral video appears to show Trump struggling to stay awake.
A viral clip from the NATO summit in Ankara has once again put President Donald Trump’s public appearances under intense scrutiny, with critics claiming the 80-year-old appeared to struggle to stay awake during a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
The footage spread rapidly across X after viewers noticed Trump sitting with his head tilted forward and his eyes closing while Erdoğan was speaking through an interpreter. Moments later, the president appeared to straighten up and reopen his eyes.
The clip has now been viewed hundreds of thousands of times, fueling another round of debate about Trump’s health and stamina.
Greenland remarks draw attention
Earlier in the meeting, Trump made several controversial remarks, including renewed calls for the United States to take control of Greenland.
He also claimed the Arctic territory was surrounded by Chinese and Russian ships and later described Greenland as “a big problem.” During a separate appearance alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Trump added:
“I am not happy with NATO because of what they did with Greenland.”
Trump also repeated his long-standing claims that he had helped settle multiple international conflicts and again alleged that the 2020 presidential election had been rigged.
Viral footage ignites criticism
Much of the online reaction focused less on Trump’s remarks and more on the moment critics said showed him nodding off during the bilateral meeting.
One user who shared the clip wrote:
“What happened to not being an embarrassment…”
Others argued that the reaction would have been dramatically different had former President Joe Biden been seen in similar circumstances. Numerous posts drew comparisons to Trump’s repeated use of the nickname “Sleepy Joe” during the 2024 campaign, suggesting the label was now being turned against him.
Several commenters also speculated about Trump’s health based on the footage, although none of those claims were supported by medical evidence.
Comparisons with Biden
The episode has revived comparisons between Trump and Biden, whose age and public appearances became frequent political talking points during the last election cycle.
One widely shared comment read:
“It was never sleepy Joe it was always sleepy Don.”
The latest discussion follows several recent occasions in which Trump has faced online accusations of appearing to fall asleep during public events, including White House meetings and his Independence Day fireworks celebration. None of those incidents have resulted in any official medical statement from the White House.
