Kimmel Invents Perfect New Nickname for Sleepy Trump
The president can’t seem to stay awake.
Jimmy Kimmel has landed on a new nickname for Donald Trump, needling the president’s well-documented habit of nodding off in public.
The late-night host used his Tuesday night monologue to mock Trump, 80, for appearing to drift off during a Sept. 11 memorial ceremony last week, which marked the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks. The comedian dubbed the president “Teddy Doze-evelt” while ribbing the White House’s attempt to explain away the moment.
“At the event, Teddy Doze-evelt got in a pretty good nap,” Kimmel said, adding that the White House had to send out a statement insisting the president wasn’t asleep.
Trump appeared to sleep during the solemn event.
SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images
“They said he was just ‘solemnly listening,’” Kimmel said. “Which is the same kind of ‘solemnly listening’ Melania does when he tries to crawl in bed with her.”
Kimmel then accused the president of hypocrisy, pointing to his years of attacks on former President Joe Biden’s age and alertness.
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“It’s so perfect,” Kimmel said. “The guy who spent four years screaming, ‘Sleepy Joe, Sleepy Joe,’ constantly falling asleep on camera.”
The host rolled nearly a minute of clips showing Trump appearing to nod off across a wide range of public appearances, including his 2025 inauguration, the Fourth of July fireworks celebration, Game 3 of the NBA Finals, the Memorial Day observance at Arlington National Cemetery, Pope Francis’ funeral, the funeral of Sen. Lindsey Graham, and numerous Cabinet meetings, along with both this year’s and last year’s Sept. 11 memorials.
President Donald Trump insisted in January that he was not sleeping during his previous Cabinet meetings when he had his eyes closed, saying he shut his eyes because the meetings were “pretty boring.”
Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images
The Memorial Day moment previously prompted California Gov. Gavin Newsom to needle the president on social media, writing, “Dozy Don is back!”
Kimmel did offer the president one backhanded compliment during the segment, comparing his energy level favorably to that of Sen. Mitch McConnell.
“Compared to Mitch McConnell, Trump has more energy than Kevin Hart,” he cracked, before playing a clip of the 84-year-old McConnell looking dazed after returning to work in a wheelchair after an absence of more than 90 days.
“He seems good, right?” Kimmel quipped.
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