President Donald Trump‘s behavior at an event has the internet ablaze as social media users speculate about the bizarre scene inside the Oval Office.
The 79-year-old is the oldest president to be inaugurated, having beaten former President Joe Biden’s previous record by five months, and his health is automatically questioned due to his age.
Speculation about Trump’s health has intensified due to his frequent public naps, slow and unsteady walking, fidgeting during meetings, and difficulties with balance, contradicting his claims of excellent health.
In footage from the swearing-in ceremony for the new Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin in the Oval Office on March 24, the president was once again caught fidgeting, bobbing like he was in a live-action sitcom, and apparently rehearsing a new napping technique behind Mullin.
The new DHS began his speech by praising the POTUS, to which Trump seemed to listen with a grin.
“It just seems surreal being in the Oval Office and having the president of the United States, uh, speak so highly of me,” said Mullin. “And then recognize my family and know my family by name. It’s, it’s humbling and, uh, and I never take it for granted…”
As Mullin moved on to talk about his new role, Trump looked visibly uncomfortable as he shifted his weight and made jerking movements with his hands. He also looked around the room as if he were no longer paying attention to Mullin’s speech, and even possibly had a seconds-long catnap in the process.
The video was shared on Threads with the caption, “omg watch this video and zoom in on Trump. He can barely stand still, bobbing like his feet hurt. He looks AWFUL.”
After the video went viral, more people roasted Trump for his constant need for attention.
“Like a toddler, he’s always fidgety and distracted when the spotlight’s on someone else,” replied one user, while a second asked, “What’s with the twitching??”
“He’s this close to tipping over … tick tock …,” another user replied.
A fourth person who suspected Trump was sleeping said added, “He’s fkn falling asleep standing up! wtf?”
One final user joked that he looked like he’d already met his demise. “It’s like ‘Weekend at Bernie’s.’ They are propping him up somehow.”
Trump’s alleged cat nap twitch display mirrored another moment where he actually was caught sleeping during a briefing. In January at the president’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, he fell asleep while standing up behind Marco Rubio, who was speaking to the press at the time.
The Secretary of State was addressing questions about the U.S. military operation in Venezuela, and the former reality TV star nodded off several times as he spoke.
The president swayed back and forth as his eyelids were batting open and shut, as he struggled to stay alert. History has shown that Trump will likely fall asleep in another meeting, which he will likely make a joke about at the next briefing or public speech, and still not take accountability for literally sleeping on the job.
Sticking to his pattern, aside from sleeping at Mullin’s ceremony, Trump made an off-putting remark about his wife. Christie Mullin, 47, began gushing when the president looked over at her and said, “Mom, who looks like she’s about 22 years old.”
The former Oklahoma senator looked tense and kept his hands folded as if he wanted to say or do something else after another man complimented his wife in a room full of people.
The awkward moment underscored the tense atmosphere, as Mullin tried to navigate both the personal attention and the weight of the political shake-up happening around him.
Former DHS secretary Kristi Noem lost her position this month following her testimony in front of Congress, where she was grilled about a controversial $220 million ad campaign and her rumored affair with her senior aide Corey Lewandowski.
In the final weeks before her ouster, Noem faced accusations that she and Lewandowski made use of the bedroom in a private multi-million-dollar luxury jet the government was leasing, allegedly for deporting immigrants.
Despite mounting criticism of her leadership, Noem was given a new title: Special Envoy for The Shield of the Americas.
