US President Donald Trump is facing a fresh round of questions over his health and stamina after MS NOW'sMorning Joeclaimed he now appears to fall asleep on the job more often than former president Joe Biden, despite Trump's years of branding his rival 'Sleepy Joe'.
The criticism erupted afterTrump appeared to briefly nod off during a White House maternal healthcare eventearlier this week. Cameras captured the 79-year-old president sitting at the Resolute Desk with his eyes closed for an extended moment while officials spoke around him. The clip quickly spread online, sparking ridicule from critics and renewed debate over Trump's age and sleep habits.
TheWhite House strongly denied Trump had fallen asleep, with one official insisting the president was merely 'blinking'. Hosts onMS NOW'sMorning Joeopenly mocked that explanation during Tuesday's broadcast and leaned into Trump's own history of taunting Biden.
'That's a very long blink,' host Joe Scarborough joked, while co-host Jonathan Lemire added that it may have been 'the longest blink' he had ever seen.
The pair then drew a direct line between Trump's recent behaviour andthe attacks Republicans levelled at Biden throughout his presidency. Scarborough argued that Trump and his supporters had spent years portraying Biden as weak, tired and mentally unfit whenever he appeared even briefly fatigued in public.
'When Biden closed his eyes for a few seconds, they went absolutely crazy,' Scarborough said, referring to the fierce criticism Biden faced after briefly closing his eyes during a 2023 memorial event in Hawaii.
Scarborough went on to claim that Trump now appears to be doing 'even more' sleeping in public than Biden ever did during his time in the White House.
The controversy has intensified because the latest Oval Office moment is not the first time Trump has appeared drowsy during public appearances in recent months. Critics have pointed to several incidents in 2026 wherethe president appeared to struggle staying awakeduring meetings, speeches and official events
At the same time, Trump's increasingly erratic late-night posting habits on Truth Social have fueled speculation that the president may be sleeping very little. Reports analysingTrump's overnight social media activityfound the president frequently posts well past midnight before resuming activity early the next morning.
One report even claimedTrump posted more than 55 times during a three-hour overnight spreeearlier this week, averaging roughly one post every three minutes.
Source: International Business Times UK
