Former President Donald Trump's criticism of President Joe Biden's public napping habit has sparked a new round of political jabs, but it has not gone unnoticed that Trump himself has faced scrutiny for dozing off during high-profile court proceedings. At a rally in Michigan on August 29, Trump seized the opportunity to berate Biden for appearing to sleep while on vacation at the beach, questioning the president's suitability for office.
"Do we have a president?" Trump asked rhetorically, referencing Biden's recent beach visit in Rehoboth, Delaware. "He just got back from California. He was supposed to go to the White House, he never got there. He went to Delaware and he's laying on a beach, sleeping all day long." Trump further questioned, "Who wants to sleep in public? He's sleeping."
In his critique, Trump contrasted Biden's beach leisure with the supposed alertness of global leaders like Chinese President Xi Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un. "Do you think President Xi of China is at a beach sleeping? Do you think Kim Jong-Un is sleeping from North Korea with his nuclear weapons all over the place?" Trump said, implying that such leaders would not be seen taking public naps.
The former president's comments, however, drew sharp reactions online, with critics noting the irony of Trump's own history of public dozing. Social media users were quick to recall Trump's own instances of appearing to fall asleep during his hush money trial in New York earlier this year.
During the trial, Trump was observed nodding off multiple times, as noted by journalist Maggie Haberman. "His jaw kept falling on his chest and his mouth kept going slack," Haberman reported. Law360's Frank G. Runyeon also described seeing Trump's head droop repeatedly during court proceedings, adding, "His head slowly dropped, his eyes closed...his head droops for a third time."
Despite these incidents, Trump's attack on Biden resonated with his supporters and provided a diversion from his legal woes. At the Michigan rally, Trump used the opportunity to underscore his campaign's focus on economic issues and to criticize Biden's leadership, albeit through a lens of personal attacks. "They don't sleep so much. And we have a guy sleeping," Trump said, positioning Biden's public napping as emblematic of broader leadership failures.
The juxtaposition of Trump's critique with his own courtroom behavior highlights the polarized nature of current political discourse. Biden's beach nap has become a symbol for Trump and his supporters of perceived ineffectiveness, while Trump's courtroom naps suggest a different narrative about the challenges and stress of high-profile legal battles.
