Trump Mocked for ‘Sleepy Joe’ Jab After Appearing to Nod Off During Steel Plant Announcement
President Trump faces online backlash after using his 'Sleepy Joe' nickname for Biden just before appearing to fall asleep during a public event in Iowa.
POLICY WIRE — Washington, D.C. — President Donald Trump is facing widespread ridicule after reviving his signature insult for his predecessor, Sleepy Joe Biden, only to appear to drift off himself during a subsequent public appearance.
The incident occurred while Trump was at the Resolute Desk announcing a new $15 billion steel plant in Iowa. He claimed the project, which is slated to begin production in 2030 and generate 1,750 permanent jobs, would never have materialized under the leadership of his predecessor.
As other officials began their remarks, video and photographic evidence captured the president with his head lolled to the right, eyes closed, and chin pointed downward. This posture has become a recurring point of contention, with critics frequently alleging he is falling asleep, a claim the White House and the president have consistently rejected.
The moment drew immediate social media attention, including a post from Hunter Biden, who shared a screenshot with the caption, “Sleepy who?” California Governor Gavin Newsom also joined the fray, using his press office account to mock the president by stating, “President McConnell is looking great,” a jab referencing Senator Mitch McConnell’s recent public appearances.
📄 POLICY WIRE WHITEPAPER PUBLISHED: PAKISTAN’S NATIONAL SECURITY POLICY PRIORITIES
Journalist Molly Jong-Fast offered a sarcastic defense of the president, suggesting that Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick’s presentation was simply boring enough to induce sleep. This event adds to a long list of similar accusations, ranging from a January event regarding the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act to a September ceremony honoring 9/11 victims at the Pentagon.
In response to the ongoing scrutiny, White House spokesman Davis Ingle defended the president’s vigor. He stated, “President Trump’s sharpness, unmatched energy, and historic accessibility stand in stark contrast to what we saw during the last administration when Democrats and the legacy media intentionally covered up Joe Biden’s serious mental and physical decline from the American people. President Trump is the sharpest and most accessible President in American history who is working nonstop to solve problems and deliver on his promises, and he remains in excellent health. Anyone claiming the President was asleep is lying.”
Administration officials have previously attributed these moments to the president either blinking or listening with solemnity. White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles told Vanity Fair that the president is not sleeping, while Trump himself told the Wall Street Journal in January that he finds closing his eyes relaxing and that critics are merely capturing him in the middle of a blink.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
