President Donald Trump is facing criticism after video footage showed he closed his eyes and appeared to fall asleep at a Memorial Day ceremony honoring fallen soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery.
Trump, who earlier that day faced criticism for Truth Social posts attacking Democrats and defending the war in Iran, marked the approaching 250th anniversary of American independence by calling it a “historic milestone” and saying “there could be no Independence Day without Memorial Day,” in tribute to fallen service members.
Later in the event, however, as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth delivered his remarks, Trump appeared to close his eyes for increasingly long stretches.
You can watch what happened in the video below.
Trump has repeatedly had to cover for always falling asleep during meetings and events and regularly rages against anyone who points out obvious signs of age-related decline. Earlier this month, a White House account claimed he was simply "blinking" after Trump appeared to fall asleep during an event on maternal health in the Oval Office.
His latest napping session, however, has sparked outrage, with people pointing out how disrespectful it is while honoring members of the American military who were killed in combat.
Trump has a history of disrespecting members of the military, particularly, as he put it, the "suckers and losers" who die in combat.
A 2020 report from The Atlantic revealed that Trump canceled a visit to the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery, near Paris, in 2018. At the time, four individuals with direct knowledge of the situation said that Trump declined the visit due to concerns about his hair being affected by the rain and a lack of importance placed on honoring American war dead.
During discussions with senior staff members on the morning of the planned visit, Trump questioned the necessity of visiting the cemetery, referring to it as "filled with losers." Additionally, on the same trip, he reportedly referred to the over 1,800 marines who perished at Belleau Wood as "suckers" for losing their lives.
Last year, he was criticized after he "honored" America's fallen soldiers on Memorial Day by posting an all-caps rant on Truth Social attacking Democrats, deriding "mentally insane" immigrants, and referring to his detractors as liberal "scum."
@JamesTate121/X
