During his visit to Angola, President Joe Biden, 82, sparked a fresh wave of online chatter when he appeared to briefly rest his eyes during a meeting about a U.S.-funded railway project in Africa.
Video footage showed the president with his hand propping up his head, leading many to speculate whether he had nodded off during the summit, but it was clear that he was in a deep sleep.
Trump, who coined the moniker “Sleepy Joe” during the 2020 presidential campaign, often uses it to highlight Biden’s gaffes and moments of perceived inattention. The video quickly became political fodder, with critics pointing to it as evidence that Biden’s age is increasingly a concern, particularly as he gears up for a re-election campaign.
This isn’t the first time Biden has faced scrutiny over his alertness and mental sharpness. Over the years, his frequent verbal slip-ups—ranging from mispronunciations to confusing anecdotes—have fueled criticism from opponents and sparked memes that never seem to leave the internet. Supporters argue that Biden’s occasional missteps are overblown and humanize him, but detractors use them as ammunition in the debate over whether he is too old to effectively serve as president, even as his presidency is in its final weeks.