Donald Trump’s insistence on calling his presidential rival Joe Biden ‘sleepy Joe’ has come back to haunt him.
There were a few instances where Mr Biden was caught snoozing during his career – or reacting slowly to major events such as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – raising concerns about his fitness to serve as leader of the US.
The nickname was picked up widely by Mr Biden’s opponents, but it was first used by Trump in 2019, when he tweeted: ‘Welcome to the race, Sleepy Joe.’
But it now appears the tables have turned after Trump was seen struggling to stay awake during his own press conference.
His White House administration was announcing a new health tracking system, but the 79-year-old president didn’t seem too interested as his eyes continually drooped.
Medicare administrator Dr Mehmet Oz was sat alongside him praising the initiative, telling the president: ‘We’re going to have remarkable advances in how consumers can use their own records.
‘All this comes back to one fundamental issue, Mr President, which is leadership.’
The announcement came a day after Trump returned from a trip to Scotland, during which he opened a new Trump International golf course, announced a new trade deal with the EU, and met with UK prime minister Keir Starmer to discuss Israel and Gaza.
And this isn’t the first time Trump has been caught struggling to stay awake on the job – despite the president and his supporters claiming he is in excellent health, unlike ‘sleepy Joe’.
Earlier this month the president attended an energy and AI summit in Pittsburgh, during which he looked like he would drop off to sleep several times.
He was also caught falling asleep on several occasions during his ‘hush money’ trial, where he was convicted for falsifying business records last year to cover up a sex scandal payout.
Trump also ‘appeared very still and seemed as if he might be sleeping but then he would move’ during the civil defamation trial brought by columnist E Jean Carroll in 2023.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
