US Democrats on Sunday (Mar 9) used an unofficial holiday to poke fun at President Donald Trump for his tendency to appear drowsy during public events. On Monday, the official account of the Democratic Party on X marked National Napping Day with a jab at the 79-year-old president, giving him the nickname "Commander-in-Sleep".
Big day for Commander-in-Sleep
Taking to X, TheDemocrats account in response to a post noting the holiday said, "Big day for the Commander-in-Sleep". The message quickly spread online, adding to an ongoing political back-and-forth over the president's stamina and work habits.
Another Democratic aligned account, run by aides to former vice president Kamala Harris, joined the criticism.
The account shared a photo showing Trump with his eyes closed during a November event in the Oval Office that focused on agreements with drugmakers Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk involving GLP 1 medications.
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Images of Trump appearing to doze off have repeatedly circulated during his second term, often becoming fodder for political opponents.
Netizens too joined in on the fun, trolling Trump. Here are some choice memes you can't miss.
Republicans defend the president’s work pace
Trump’s allies have pushed back strongly against the criticism. Mike Johnson praised the president’s energy during a gathering of House Republicans at Trump’s golf resort in Miami.Johnson described Trump as "the most active president" he has seen and suggested the president’s limited sleep is part of the reason. Trump is "the most energised president, the most successful president, I believe, in my lifetime, and he’s proven it over and over and over. And part of it is because he doesn’t sleep, thankfully," he said.
"I get calls from him at 2 a.m. and 7 a.m., sometimes in the same day. He doesn’t require a lot of sleep, thankfully. And he is the man for the moment," he added.”
Trump addresses the criticism
Trump himself has previously dismissed the claims that he falls asleep during meetings.
During a cabinet gathering, he said that while critics often highlight moments where his eyes appear closed, he was not actually sleeping.
"Some people said he closed his eyes," Trump told reporters. "Look, it got pretty boring."
He added that photographs sometimes capture a brief moment when his eyes are shut, which can create the impression he had dozed off. "I didn’t sleep," he said. "I just closed them."

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