Trump, 80, has 'repeatedly fallen asleep' at Cabinet meetings
'Sleepy Donald' said to sometimes doze off during meetings as he enters his ninth decade
Donald Trump has not ruled out standing for a third term, but concerns around the president's health are mounting now that he has celebrated his 80th birthday.
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The Republican was treated to a UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) spectacle on the White House lawn on Sunday, and then announced a peace deal had been struck between the US and Iran.
He is on course to be the oldest-ever president by the end of his second term, but has suggested he could even stay on for an unprecedented and unconstitutional third term, taking him to 2033.
"Maybe I'll be here in 32, too," he said recently. "I don't know. Maybe I will. But I'm going to be here in 28. And I'll tell you, I say, that's great, because I'm going to be there."
It follows on from Trump 2028 merchandise being sold.
Yet, there are concerns that the president might be physically struggling with the toil in his second term.
Mr Trump had criticised the senior moments of his predecessor Joe Biden, who he nicknamed "sleepy Joe," and called a "broken down piece of crap", but has himself been seen to doze off in meetings.
Ted Lieu, a prominent Californian Democrat, said: “Donald Trump has repeatedly fallen asleep at multiple cabinet meetings, at multiple White House events, at a Memorial Day ceremony and most recently at a very loud and raucous New York Knicks-San Antonio Spurs game at night."
He has not commented on these incidents, but did appear to have fallen asleep during the aforementioned basketball game, and another video showed him to have nodded off during the UFC fight.
🚨BREAKING: DONALD TRUMP HAS FALLEN ASLEEP AT HIS 80TH BIRTHDAY UFC FREEDOM 250 EVENT. pic.twitter.com/Q7hdbDWQOW
— CALL TO ACTIVISM (@CalltoActivism) June 15, 2026
Does Donald Trump have any health conditions?
The health of Donald Trump is the subject of constant and significant speculation, even if the White House has denied he is in anything but top-notch shape.
Davis Ingle, a White House spokesman, told the Telegraph: “President Trump is the sharpest and most accessible president in American history who is working non-stop to solve problems and deliver on his promises, and he remains in excellent health."
In addition, the White House released what appeared to be a clean bill of health earlier in 2026 after his annual medical examination.
He has also boasted about playing golf regularly and walking "nine miles" around courses, "not using the cart".
Read also: How good is Donald Trump at golf?
Here are some of the concerns raised about Mr Trump's age, none of which have been admitted by the White House:
Age-related concerns
It has previously been noted that Mr Trump's 2024 presidential campaign saw the Republican give much longer and less focused speeches compared to his 2016 push, when he addressed crowds more often.
Tara Setmayer, a former Republican communications director on Capitol Hill, told the Guardian: “It’s on display almost daily as he struggles to stay awake during official meetings.
"He is more irritable and going on rage tangents and throwing temper tantrums when he doesn’t get his way. These are not signs of a well-adjusted adult approaching 80 years old.”
"Some people said, he closed his eyes. Look, it got pretty boring," Mr Trump told laughing officials in February when asked about his falling asleep.
"I didn't sleep. I just closed them because I wanted to get the hell outta here."
Face drooping
Photographs of Mr Trump at a 9/11 memorial event in September last year led to some speculation as to whether he had suffered a stroke, with the president's face appearing to droop.
LBC's Simon Marks said that "efforts had been made" to conceal his appearance, although noted that his health might have tumbled in the aftermath of the assassination of his friend Charlie Kirk.
Bruising on hands, swollen neck and ankles
Mr Trump has been seen with bruises on his hands, as well as with a red neck and swollen ankles.
White House physician Sean Barbabella has said Trump is using a common cream as "a preventative skin treatment" to address the neck rash, but he has not given details of the condition being treated.
Mr Trump's leg swelling was from a "common" vein condition, and his hand was bruised from shaking so many hands, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt later told reporters.
Photographs showing a blotchy neck rash have added to questions about Trump's health, following images in July 2025 of swollen ankles.
Weight gain
Mr Trump's latest medical found that he had gained around 6.5kg in the past year to be 107kg, around 17 stone.
This would give him a BMI (Body Mass Index) of 30.4, putting him into the "obese" category, which can bring many health complications with it.
When was Donald Trump’s 80th birthday?
Donald Trump turned 80 on June 14, having been born in 1946. His wife Melania is 56
How old are Donald Trump's children?
- Donald Jr, 48, (born to Ivana Trump),
- Ivanka, 44, (born to Ivana Trump),
- Eric Trump, 42, (born to Ivana Trump),
- Tiffany Trump, 32, (born to Marla Maples),
- Barron Trump, 20, (born to Melaania Trump)
The president has 11 grandchildren; with Donald Jr having had five, Ivanka having three, Eric having two, and Tiffany having one.
Read also: Which Trump sibling has the best shot at the White House?
Who are the oldest-ever presidents?
Joe Biden is the oldest person to have ever called himself president, being 82 years and 61 days old when he left office in 2025.
Mr Trump is now two years shy of this total and will surpass the record in summer 2028, when he is still set to be president, and will be around 82 and five months when he leaves office.
He entered the White House for the second time aged 78 and 220 days, having left the White House aged 74 years and 220 days in 2021.
Both men have surpassed the previous record of Ronald Reagan, who was 77 when he left office in 1989.
The ninth president, William Henry Harrison, died only 31 days into his term in 1841, making him the shortest-serving president ever and the only one to die in office.
For more than 100 years, Mr Harrison had also been the oldest president until Mr Reagan broke the record, when he was elected aged 69 in 1981.
How old is Joe Biden?
Joe Biden is now 83 years old and the oldest living president, with Mr Trump also remarkably being older than all the other living former presidents - even Bill Clinton, who entered the White House back in 1993.
Former US President Jimmy Carter died aged 100 in December 2024.
How old are the former presidents who are still alive?
Their ages, as of June 15, 2026, are:
- Joe Biden (President from 2021-2025) 83 years and 206 days,
- Donald Trump (2017-2021, 2025 - present) 80 years and one day,
- George W Bush (2001-2009) 79 years and 343 days,
- Bill Clinton (1993-2001) 79 years and 299 days,
- Barack Obama (2009-2017) 64 years and 314 days