A video is going viral on social media in which former US President Donald Trump is seen taking a nap during the Republican National Convention on Monday. NewsweekThe now viral clip was shot during Harmeet Dhillon’s address. Mr Trump can be seen dozing off while his fellow candidate JD Vance is seen next to him with his eyes wide open. Notably, the event was his first public appearance since the assassination attempt at the Pennsylvania rally.
The footage was shared by multiple users on X (formerly Twitter). Since being shared, the post has garnered over 2.5 million views and 34,000 likes.
???? He can’t stay awake at the RNC!! He sleeps bih!!!! ??? The media gave the dude all the passes!!! pic.twitter.com/dBK8rwMgng
— Plies (@plies) July 16, 2024
“Sleepy Don,” one user said.
Another commented: “Wake up Donald!”
A third person said, “Bro, really? How much sleep do you think this guy got in 48 hours?”
One X user said, “He literally, by the grace of God, survived an assassination attempt… then he went out to see his doctors and family, met with politicians, came back for the RNC (not to mention all the stuff we don’t see in the background about what he had to do to make sure another assassination attempt didn’t happen)”
One user commented, “He’s probably on a lot of strong pain pills. Just a thought.”
According to CBS NewsDonald Trump’s eyes were closed, not because he was asleep, but because the video was apparently taken during Pastor James Romke’s prayer. Mr Trump and JD Vance were among a large number of people in the crowd who had their eyes closed during the pastor’s prayer. Some individuals uploaded Romke’s prayer video falsely claiming that Mr Trump was asleep at the time, while other audience members also had their eyes closed.
The event has sparked a debate as Mr Trump often mocks US President Joe Biden, calling him “Sleepy Joe” to question his fitness for the post. Notably, Mr Biden is the oldest president in US history at the age of 81. Donald Trump said the president “almost fell asleep” on stage after his highly criticised performance at the first presidential debate in Atlanta.
Meanwhile, in April, several reporters said Trump, 78, appeared to doze off several times during his criminal trial in New York, leading Mr Biden to call him “Sleepy Don”. However, Mr Trump denied falling asleep in the courtroom. The campaign reported that Independent“This is 100% fake news being told by ‘journalists’ who were not even present in the courtroom.”