WATCH | Trump caught dozing off at NBA Finals; video goes viral

US President Donald Trump was once again caught dozing off at a public event – this time during Game 3 of the NBA Finals. The president attended the match at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Monday (Jun 8), where he was seen shutting his eyes as he sat beside Knicks owner James Dolan and watched the game. The moment was caught on camera and went viral on social media.

Trump, who often refers to former president Joe Biden as “sleepy Joe”, has himself faced several accusations of falling asleep during public appearances, with Democrats even calling him “the Commander-in-Sleep”.

At the NBA game, Trump was greeted with rude gestures and a chorus of deafening boos during the national anthem. Later, he was recorded during the game with his eyes closed, appearing to have fallen asleep.

The video of Trump dozing off at the NBA Finals was widely shared on social media, with several people criticising and trolling him.

“Bringing half your cabinet courtside just to take a historic nap is wild. He didn’t come to watch the Knicks; he just paid thousands for a premium snooze,” a person wrote on X.

“The most powerful man on earth falling asleep courtside at the NBA Finals tells you everything about the state of American politics,” another user said. “The cameras call it exhaustion. Voters call it decline. Markets call it transition.”

“Thousands of dollars for courtside seats, and the highlight of the night was a presidential power nap. The Knicks were playing, but apparently REM sleep was the main event,” one person joked.

One user pointed out, “Trump called Biden ‘Sleepy Joe’ for years, but now he’s the one dozing off at the NBA Finals. The irony is undefeated and courtside.”