Donald Trump is earning his “Dozy Don” nickname one public wink of sleep at a time. California Gov. Gavin Newsom began trolling his political foe with the moniker months ago, even referring to the 79-year-old as “the Nodfather” for allegedly falling asleep during diplomatic gatherings.
Even now, it appears as though Trump won’t be changing the narrative any time soon. Online banter about a clip of his long blinks and slumped disposition during a cabinet meeting resurfaced on Nov. 30.
In the footage from Oct. 9, the Republican leader is observed intermittently nodding his head in support of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s remarks between downward stares and what looked to be, at times, brief moments of his eyes being closed.
The observation prompted an X user to ask, “Is Trump falling asleep?”
MAGA scrambled to defend their spokesperson as the clip grew in popularity across platforms. One Trump supporter on X argued, “He goes non stop, what do people think he’s superman. Everybody has to sleep sometimes. I would think people would be more worried that he goes non stop.”
A second fan attempted to dispel the sleeping speculation by stating, “Trump looks bored to me! Always looks down when he’s thinking! Fallen asleep???? no way!!!”
A third person, angered by dozy discourse, hit back at hecklers with, “Hell he works 24/7 flying all over the world. Why is the media harping on this?”
Is Trump falling asleep? https://t.co/0DmNLZ23s0
— Emma-Hold The F💀ck Up 🇮🇪✊🇵🇸🇺🇦🇱🇧 (@branfan91) November 30, 2025
The latter response backfired as a critic commented, “Have you ever seen another President fall asleep this much? Why are we harping on it? He’s sleeping at work. Would you not be fired? He cannot handle the job…” Another person commented, “Making Trump have all Biden’s faults they tried to hide.”
The “president of peace” has long referred to his predecessor Joe Biden, whom he nicknamed “Sleepy Joe” for his presumed nods of rest during his tenure as vice president and president.
The Democrats’ fans are maintaining a rolodex of receipts as proof that Trump has a growing need to rest his eyes, especially when cameras are rolling.
For instance, he fought to stay awake during a Nov. 6 White House news conference but ultimately lost. The real estate mogul rubbed his eyes and held one open with his fingers before he finally closed them for moments at a time. Photos of him seated at his Oval Office desk, his head resting against the back of his chair, and his eyes shut, went viral.
photos of Trump sleeping through yesterday's Oval Office event via Andrew Harnik of Getty pic.twitter.com/zurDLxkFVt
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) November 7, 2025
Trolling critics nicknamed him “Commander-In-Sleep” and remarked, “From ‘Sleepy Joe’ to ‘Slumbering Don,’ Trump’s Oval Office siesta proves the only thing he’s reducing is his REM cycles.”
Another who saw the footage added, “You can’t make this up,” with a laughing emoji.
The New York native became the oldest president to be sworn in to office when he was inaugurated in January 2025 for a second term. Banter about his naps coincides with growing theories about his rumored decline.
Trump and his administration maintain he is healthy despite admissions that he has undergone multiple scans, physical exams, and cognitive tests months into his four-year term.
