Trump, 80, Can’t Even Stay Awake to Honor 9/11 Victims
The president’s eyelids grew heavy as the names of victims were read aloud.
President Donald Trump struggled to keep his eyes open as the names of victims of the September 11 attacks were read during a poignant memorial service.
The 80-year-old president’s eyes closed for extended periods, and his head rocked back and forth as he sat on stage at the Pentagon, where he and first lady Melania Trump attended a service on the 25th anniversary of the terror attack.
President Donald Trump, 80, appeared to doze off during the Friday memorial at the Pentagon.
SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images
Clips of the president dozing quickly went viral online.
President Donald Trump sat on stage with First Lady Melania Trump as the names of victims were read aloud.
Reuters
“A Sleepy Donald Trump has decided to take a nap at the Pentagon Ceremony,” read one viral post.
Utterly embarrassing..
— 🇺🇦BostonBrian🇺🇸🦅 (@BostonBrian23) September 11, 2026
Guy can’t even keep his eyes open at the 9/11 ceremony.. #trump #sleep #fyp #viral pic.twitter.com/6iCcmuq3mU
Another read, “Utterly embarrassing.. Guy can’t even keep his eyes open at the 9/11 ceremony.”
President Donald Trump appeared to rest his eyes even as his defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, delivered a speech.
Jonathan Ernst/REUTERS
The president’s eyelids appeared to grow heavy as the names of victims were read one by one, followed by the ringing of a bell. He also appeared sleepy as a choir performed.
Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump during a ceremony commemorating the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks.
Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images
Trump has had a taxing week. He flew to Dallas, Texas, on Wednesday to speak back-to-back nights at his MAGA Fyre Fest convention that drew fewer eyeballs than a typical night of cable news. Trump rambled for about 106 minutes in his first speech, wrapping up around 11 p.m. EST. He was up early the following morning, posting to Truth Social at 6:54 a.m. Thursday.
The president delivered a second speech to a less-than-full arena later that night, which did not conclude until after 11 p.m. EST. He then flew back to Washington and arrived at the Pentagon with Melania before 9 a.m. Friday morning.
Photo Illustration by Elizabeth Brockway/The Daily Beast/Getty/Reuters
Trump made headlines at last year’s Sept. 11 memorial, too, when his face appeared noticeably droopy.
Despite struggling to stay awake on Friday, Trump eventually spoke at the memorial. He used his speech to justify his war with Iran.
“We will never, ever forget,” Trump said. “That’s why we fight today—we don’t have a choice. There can only be victory. We fight hard. We fight to win.
Get the best of The Beast delivered right to your inbox
By clicking “SUBSCRIBE” you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
He later added that the U.S. will “ensure the world’s No. 1 sponsor of terror, the Islamic Republic of Iran, will never have a nuclear weapon.”
The White House denied that Trump was sleeping during the 9/11 event.
“President Trump was solemnly listening and remembering the victims and heroic first responders who tragically lost their lives on that fateful day. Anyone ridiculously claiming the President was asleep is lying,” White House spokesman Davis Ingle said.
See more of our coverage in your search results.
Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.
Register below to read this article for free or subscribe
to unlock unlimited access to The Daily Beast.
Monthly
$1
First month then $5.99/month
Annual
$35
First year then $59.99/year
Premium
$79
First year then $119.99/year
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Already have an account? Sign In
Looks like you already have a subscription!
You're all set!
Thanks for subscribing.
Sign in
Login dialog
Sign in or create an account
Login dialog
Loading comments…