President Donald Trump again appeared to nod in and out of sleep during a scheduled Oval Office event on Friday.
Sitting at the Resolute Desk surrounded by Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and ranchers from around the country, including at least three men in cowboy hats, Trump visibly struggled to stay awake as Rollins discussed the two executive orders he had just signed.
With her body turned toward Trump, and her words directed at the geriatric president, Rollins appeared to be attempting to engage him so that he would not succumb to the delights of slumber.
Trump repeatedly blinked and let his eyes close for long periods.
Having already signed the two orders aimed at protecting and promoting American beef, Trump appeared uninterested in what was happening around him. At one point, he closed his eyes as Rollins was speaking directly to him.
This is not the first time Trump has struggled to stay awake during an official event.
During an hour-long event last month that gave the elderly president a chance to laud new agreements with drug companies, Trump closed his eyes for more than 20 seconds.
There have now been at least 22 occasions on which Trump has been caught appearing to snooze at public events.
August was a busy month for sleep slips. On Aug. 10, Trump slumped over in his chair as he struggled to keep his eyes open during an afternoon event to sign an executive order on childhood vaccines.
He also appeared to fall asleep repeatedly at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in July.
His frequent doziness has sparked concerns among observers over Trump’s ailing health and how to keep the president awake and engaged during the day.
Not even the mention of foe Joe Biden did the trick in the Oval Office on Friday afternoon.
As Rollins brandished the charts Trump had asked her to present, she took a jab at the man Trump nicknamed “Sleepy Joe.”
“We talk about 2023 just being a catas.. catas… catastrophic year for farmers and ranchers,” Rollins said, stumbling over the word catastrophic.
“That was the year that we began to import more food for the first time, under Joe Biden.”
Trump’s eyes briefly fluttered open at the mention, but then as Rollins pivoted to “again, freedom—if you can’t feed yourself,” the president’s eyes were again closed.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
