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Trump health update: Medical expert hints at this condition as video appears to show POTUS fall asleep at meeting
A viral video of President Trump appearing to doze off during a meeting has reignited health concerns and a medical expert has weighed in on the matter.
A viral video appearing to show President Donald Trump momentarily dozing off during a meeting has triggered fresh speculation about his health. A medical expert on X suggested that the symptoms could point to a disorder.
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What does the clip show?
The clip shows Trump seated during an Oval Office presser, appearing to close his eyes momentarily before he opens them again. The clip appears to show his jaw slacken and eyelids close, even as the president's head appeared to slump forward during the speech.
Users online who were watching live footage wondered if he had just fallen asleep.
One X user wrote, “Trump is about to hit REM on camera during an Oval Office event. It's just incredible.”
Another X user questioned cable news and wrote, “How is this not the lead story on every cable news network and printed press? He seems to fall asleep everyday like this.”
Another user thought the President passed out and wrote, “Trump completely passed out, reawakened, then passed out again during today's pressor in the Oval Office.”
Congress Member Ted Lieu, too, showed concern over Trump's health and wrote, “There is something mentally wrong with the President of the United States. There is also something physically wrong with the President of the United States. trump can’t stay awake at public events with the cameras rolling. Imagine what he’s like when there are no cameras.”
Read more: Donald Trump sparks health fears again amid new ‘leg brace’ speculation
Medical expert points to a possible sleep condition
Amid the speculation, Jonathan Reiner, a professor of Medicine and Surgery associated with CNN, commented on the situation. He suggested that symptoms like difficulty staying awake in meetings can sometimes be linked to sleep apnea.
“When a patient tells me that they can’t stay awake in meetings, we do formal sleep testing to look for sleep apnea,” Reiner wrote on X.
He further wrote, “I’m sure the White House medical team has done this, but the president continues to struggle with daytime somnolence. This is a common problem, and there are things that can can be done to improve these symptoms.”
According to Mayo Clinic, sleep apnea is a disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep, often leading to poor sleep quality and excessive daytime sleepiness.
There is currently no confirmed medical diagnosis announced by the White House that indicates that Trump suffers from sleep apnea or any related condition. Concerns about Trump's health has gone on for some time, as people noticed the purple bruise on his hand. However, the White House has insisted that the president is in the pink of health.
Even as the latest video sparked fresh talks about the president's health, a report claimed that Trump appeared to have skipped his 2026 annual physical. Ben Meiselas, of Meidas Touch media – a pro-Democrat publication, pointed it out.
“You’ll recall in October 2025, Donald Trump claimed that he was getting another annual physical, but said actually it was his “semiannual” physicals, and that he does them every six months. Ok, well whether you do them every six months or every year, here we are now, April of 2026,” he said, adding “Under any normal circumstance, the White House would announce ‘here’s the date where it’s going to take place, at Walter Reid, we will publish the results’…But notice, that Donald Trump who loves talking about all his cognitive exams, is covering this up.”
