The U.S. president was sharply criticized after apparently falling asleep during a Memorial Day ceremony.
During the live broadcast of the event held at Arlington National Cemetery last Monday, many viewers noticed that Donald Trump appeared to be sleeping while Secretary of War Pete Hegseth was speaking.
Photos and videos shared on social media show that, for a long period, Trump, 79, appeared seated next to Vice President J. D. Vance, with his hands resting on his legs and his eyes closed.
The images prompted a strong negative reaction, with many people criticizing the president’s posture on the holiday that honors the memory of service members who died while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces.
This would not be the first time in recent months that Trump has been caught apparently sleeping during official ceremonies, diplomatic meetings and cabinet gatherings.
The U.S. president has denied these previous allegations, saying that he usually listens to everything attentively and that he simply closes his eyes to process and absorb everything.
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Trump falls asleep as speakers talk about service members dying for their country on Memorial Day pic.twitter.com/QXq455Tmhq
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