President Donald Trump is facing renewed scrutiny over his health after video from a White House ceremony Monday appeared to show the 80-year-old president closing his eyes and leaning back in his chair while National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya discussed a major overhaul of federal childhood-vaccine policy.
The footage, recorded in the Oval Office on Aug. 10, spread rapidly across social media and prompted critics to accuse Trump of falling asleep during the event. The White House rejected that interpretation, saying the president was listening with his eyes closed and remains fully engaged in his duties.
In the clip, Trump sits beside Bhattacharya as the NIH director describes the administration's new vaccine initiative and calls the announcement a "historic" moment. Trump appears to lower his chin, close his eyes and later rest his head against the back of his chair for several seconds.
The images quickly became another flashpoint in the continuing debate over Trump's age and stamina. One social-media user wrote, "That pretty much sums up the sorry state of our republic. A circus with a declining octogenarian at the helm," while arguing that the behavior "is not normal."
Other viewers cautioned against drawing conclusions from a short video. One commenter wrote: "Instead of obsessing over whether others are asleep, it is better to spend more time making your own life easier. Even if he were asleep, would your life be better?"
The White House has repeatedly pushed back against similar allegations. When Trump was accused of dozing during a Cabinet meeting in December 2025, Chief of Staff Susie Wiles denied that he had fallen asleep.
"He's not asleep," Wiles said. "He's got his eyes closed and his head leaned back ... and, you know, he's fine."
A similar controversy erupted in July during the funeral of Sen. Lindsey Graham, when footage showed Trump sitting with his eyes closed while other speakers delivered tributes. White House spokesperson Davis Ingle said Trump had been "reflecting on the loss of his dear friend Lindsey Graham, for whom he had just delivered a beautiful eulogy."
"Anyone suggesting otherwise is a depraved moron," Ingle added.
Responding to the latest Oval Office footage, Ingle again rejected concerns about Trump's condition, describing him as "the sharpest, most accessible, and energetic president in American history."
The latest episode comes after several other highly scrutinized appearances involving the president. Video showing Trump repeatedly touching or tapping his leg while walking near Air Force One generated speculation online, while photographs from Trump National Bedminster showed visible bruising on his arm and hand.
Trump and White House officials have previously attributed bruising to aspirin use and a diagnosis of chronic venous insufficiency. The administration has consistently denied that the president has an undisclosed serious health problem.
The policy announcement taking place during Monday's incident has itself generated controversy. Trump signed an executive order directing federal health officials to reconsider the way childhood vaccines are recommended and administered, including the use of the combined measles, mumps and rubella vaccine.
According to the administration, the order seeks to give parents greater flexibility by encouraging separate administration of some vaccines and creating clearer distinctions between vaccines recommended universally, those targeted toward higher-risk groups and those handled through "shared clinical decision-making" between families and physicians.
Public-health groups and medical experts have criticized proposals to break combination vaccines into separate appointments, warning that additional visits could create logistical and financial barriers that leave some children incompletely vaccinated for longer periods.
