Donald Trump, 80, appeared to struggle to stay awake during his own Oval Office event on Monday.
The president was slumped behind the Resolute Desk during his afternoon announcement of a new $15 billion steel plant being built in eastern Iowa. The plant, by Mesabi Metallics, will be one of the largest in the country.
”This is a tremendous investment,” Trump said, adding: “Our steel industry is roaring back to life.”
He, however, was not roaring back to life himself. As Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick lavished the president with praise mere inches from him, Trump appeared barely able to keep his eyes open.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Eventually, Trump, the oldest person ever inaugurated as president, launched into several tangents, including slamming Canada as “one of the worst countries in the entire world.” He also touted his renaming of Lake Ontario to “Lake America” during his self-provoked feud with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney over trade and tariffs.
The event appeared to be an attempt to boost Trump-endorsed Iowa congressional candidates Iowa Reps. Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Ashley Hinson, who attended alongside other state officials.
Hinson is one of several Trump candidates who have distanced themselves from the president as his approval rating has plummeted to record lows. Last week, a Marist poll showed Hinson trailing Democratic Senate candidate Josh Turek by eight points.
When asked by a reporter why Republicans were struggling in Iowa, the president replied: “I don’t know… There’s been things the Democrats have done that are very bad for our country,” saying that: “The polls are fake.”
Trump, for his part, fell short of energizing voters for Hinson, as he could barely energize himself. The president’s well-documented habit of nodding off during his official duties has occurred more frequently throughout his second presidential term. Despite nicknaming his predecessor “Sleepy Joe,” Trump has been captured napping at least 23 times at events since retaking the Oval Office.
This is just one aspect of Trump’s ailments. Throughout Trump’s second term, the Daily Beast has reported extensively on Trump’s declining health, with the president frequently seen with dark bruises on his hands, having mental slip-ups, slurring his words, and suffering from swollen ankles.
