The question “did Trump fall asleep” is trending again — and this time, the incident happened live on camera in the Oval Office. According to multiple media outlets including The Daily Beast, IBTimes UK, and The Mirror US, President Donald Trump, 79, appeared to nod off on April 23, 2026, during a nationally televised healthcare affordability event at the White House — the latest in a growing pattern of public drowsiness episodes that has raised fresh questions about the president’s health.
What happened on April 23, 2026?
As reported by NTD News and The Daily Beast, President Trump held a healthcare affordability event in the Oval Office on Thursday, April 23, 2026, during which he announced a drug pricing deal with pharmaceutical giant Regeneron. Cabinet members including Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., FDA Commissioner Martin McCary, and Dr. Mehmet Oz were present, along with Regeneron CEO Len Schleifer, who delivered remarks at the event.
According to the official event transcript published by Singjupost, Schleifer spoke about Regeneron’s scientific achievements, noting that discovering cures was “much harder than getting to the moon.” As reported by The Daily Beast, Schleifer also moved on to listing diseases that still have no cure, including Alzheimer’s — and it was precisely during this stretch of remarks that Trump appeared to nod off on live television.
As per CNN’s coverage, Trump’s eyes grew visibly heavy roughly twenty minutes into the event. According to The Daily Beast, his eyes closed fully, reopened, and then fluttered shut again multiple times — while suited Cabinet members and pharmaceutical executives stood behind him in full view of cameras.
As reported by The Mirror US, video clips circulating on social media showed Trump’s head tilting downward and his eyes closing for extended periods, even as speakers addressed the room directly. One clip, shared widely on X (formerly Twitter), runs 23 seconds and shows Trump appearing to nod off before jolting awake, then closing his eyes again.
As per Atlanta Black Star, one moment stood out in particular — when Schleifer remarked that cures were harder to find than reaching the moon, Trump’s left eye cracked open slightly, as if the line had briefly broken through. Then it closed again as he settled back into his chair.
Was the viral video of Trump hitting his head real?
No. According to Snopes, a video that went massively viral on social media — purportedly showing Trump falling asleep and hitting his head on his desk — was identified as a deepfake generated using AI video tools. As per Snopes’ fact-check published April 24, 2026, the video originated from a Facebook account described as belonging to a “digital memeist” who specializes in satirical AI-generated content. AI detection tools flagged the clip with a high probability of manipulation.
As per The Express Tribune’s independent fact-check, a review of the authentic, complete Oval Office footage confirmed that Trump did not hit his head on the desk or lose consciousness. However, the same fact-checks noted that credible outlets did report Trump appeared drowsy and was seen with his eyes closed during the event — that part of the story is real and documented on camera.
How did politicians react?
According to The Mirror US, California Governor Gavin Newsom was among the first to respond publicly. Newsom posted on X calling Trump “asleep at the wheel” alongside one clip, and in a separate post wrote in Trump’s signature all-caps style: “DOZY DON IS BUSY DOZING.” As per The Mirror US, Newsom’s office has maintained a months-long practice of posting video clips and commentary highlighting moments where Trump appears to show signs of physical or cognitive decline.
Is this a new or recurring issue?
According to IBTimes UK and The Daily Beast, Thursday’s Oval Office incident is far from isolated. As per their reporting, Trump has been captured appearing to doze off repeatedly throughout early 2026:
February 2026 — As reported by IBTimes UK, Trump was seen shutting his eyes for extended periods while EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin spoke about the Clean Air Act. After Zeldin finished, Trump reportedly took to the podium and said, “That was long.”
March 2026 — Memphis press conference — As per The Daily Adda, Trump appeared to fall asleep at a press conference centered on his Memphis Task Force, seen tilting his head down and shutting his eyes for at least 30 unbroken seconds.
March 2026 — Cabinet meeting — According to The Daily Beast, Trump appeared unable to keep his eyes open during a Cabinet session as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth criticized media coverage of the joint U.S.-Israeli military operation against Iran and Lebanon.
March 2026 — Congressional appearance — According to The Daily Beast, Trump appeared to take what observers described as a 30-second executive power nap while House Speaker Mike Johnson was discussing college athletics policy.
What do medical experts say?
According to IBTimes UK and The Mirror US, cardiologist Dr. Jonathan Reiner — who previously served as White House physician under President George W. Bush — addressed Trump’s pattern of drowsiness on CNN. As per Dr. Reiner’s comments to CNN anchor Jake Tapper, what Trump is exhibiting is consistent with a condition called increased daytime somnolence. According to Dr. Reiner, Trump has fallen asleep in crowded Oval Office settings and at Cabinet meetings while people were speaking directly to him — behavior he described as medically notable.
As reported by IBTimes UK, Dr. Reiner cited obstructive sleep apnea as one possible explanation for the recurring drowsiness, though he stopped short of a formal diagnosis, noting he has not personally examined the president.
According to The Daily Adda, reports have also surfaced suggesting Trump may have skipped or delayed his annual physical examination for 2026. As per The Daily Adda’s reporting, media analyst Ben Meiselas noted that Trump quietly admitted in October 2025 to having undergone an MRI scan but refused to disclose what it was for. The White House has not addressed the matter directly.
According to The Express Tribune, broader questions about Trump’s health had already been sharpening since late November 2025, when a New York Times article reported that Trump had significantly reduced his public events, domestic travel, and daily working hours compared to his first term in office.
What has Trump himself said?
According to IBTimes UK, Trump previously told The Wall Street Journal in January 2026 that he does not fall asleep in public — rather, he simply shuts his eyes occasionally. As per IBTimes UK, Trump elaborated: “It’s very relaxing to me. Sometimes they’ll take a picture of me blinking and they’ll catch me with the blink.”
As reported by IBTimes UK, this latest incident directly contradicts Trump’s own past statements. In September 2024, Trump told podcast host Andrew Schulz: “You’ll never see me sleeping in front of the camera.” He also said at a rally: “How do you fall asleep when cameras are raging, right?” — comments that have since been widely recirculated alongside footage of the April 23 Oval Office episode.
As per Atlanta Black Star, Trump has pushed back on the narrative whenever it surfaces, insisting he is simply resting his eyes and that he hears everything being said around him. Adding to the irony, as noted by multiple outlets including The Daily Beast and Reality Tea, Trump spent years attacking President Joe Biden with the nickname “Sleepy Joe” — and according to Reality Tea, even joked at a Kentucky rally in March 2026 that he was “falling asleep” during a military briefing about the Iran operation.
Frequently asked questions
Did Trump fall asleep in the Oval Office on April 23, 2026?
According to multiple credible outlets including The Daily Beast, IBTimes UK, and The Mirror US, Trump appeared to nod off during a live healthcare affordability event in the Oval Office on April 23, 2026. A viral video showing him hitting his head on the desk was confirmed as a deepfake by Snopes and The Express Tribune.
Is the video of Trump hitting his head real?
No. As per Snopes’ April 24, 2026 fact-check, the video is an AI-generated deepfake originating from a satirical social media account. The authentic footage does show Trump appearing drowsy, but he did not hit his head.
What was the Regeneron deal about?
As reported by NTD News, Regeneron agreed to join Trump’s Most Favored Nation drug pricing initiative, ensuring American patients pay prices in line with the lowest rates in other developed countries. The deal also included a new gene therapy for genetic hearing loss in children, offered at no cost to eligible patients.
How many times has Trump appeared to fall asleep in 2026?
According to The Daily Beast and IBTimes UK, at least five separate incidents have been captured on camera between February and April 2026, including during Cabinet meetings, a Memphis press conference, a congressional appearance, and now a live Oval Office event.
What medical condition could explain Trump falling asleep?
As per cardiologist Dr. Jonathan Reiner speaking to CNN, the pattern is consistent with increased daytime somnolence. He cited obstructive sleep apnea as a possible underlying cause, noting Trump’s age, body type, and repeated on-camera drowsiness as medically notable.
What did Gavin Newsom say about Trump falling asleep?
According to The Mirror US, California Governor Gavin Newsom called Trump “asleep at the wheel” on X and posted multiple clips dubbing him “Dozy Don” following the April 23, 2026 Oval Office event.
Disclaimer
This article is intended for informational and news reporting purposes only. All claims, observations, and statements contained herein are attributed to third-party media sources, including but not limited to The Daily Beast, IBTimes UK, The Mirror US, NTD News, Snopes, The Express Tribune, Atlanta Black Star, Reality Tea, and The Daily Adda. This publication does not independently claim to have witnessed any of the events described.
The reporting on whether President Donald Trump fell asleep during the April 23, 2026 Oval Office event is based on observations made by credentialed journalists and media outlets. As no definitive medical assessment has been made publicly available by the White House, all references to possible medical conditions — including obstructive sleep apnea and increased daytime somnolence — are speculative in nature and represent the opinions of third-party medical professionals commenting publicly. They do not constitute a formal diagnosis.
The viral video depicting President Trump hitting his head on his desk has been independently fact-checked and confirmed as an AI-generated deepfake by Snopes and The Express Tribune. This publication does not endorse, promote, or republish that video and explicitly identifies it as fabricated content.
This article does not intend to defame, malign, or misrepresent any individual, including President Donald Trump, Regeneron CEO Len Schleifer, Governor Gavin Newsom, or any other person named herein. All political commentary referenced in this article — including statements made by Governor Newsom — represents the views of those individuals and not of this publication.
Readers are encouraged to consult primary sources and form their own informed opinions. This publication strives for accuracy and fairness. If any factual error is identified, we welcome corrections and will update the article promptly.
“This publication has no affiliation with any of the named media outlets. All outlet names are referenced solely to credit the original sources of the information cited.”