Trump Appears to Zone Out During Oval Office Vaccine Signing — Videos Spark Mockery and Health Questions

President Donald Trump appeared to momentarily zone out while signing an executive order in the Oval Office on Monday that would reduce the number of vaccines recommended for children and call for the MMR shot — which protects against measles, mumps and rubella — to be split into three separate vaccines. The policy move is being advanced by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a long-standing critic of vaccine safety.

Seated behind the Resolute Desk, the 80-year-old president was seen repeatedly closing his eyes during the ceremony, including while Mr. Kennedy and National Institutes of Health director Jay Bhattacharya spoke beside him. Short video clips of the episode circulated widely across social platforms within minutes.

Sharply Divided Reaction Online

Social media reaction was immediate and polarized. Some users ridiculed the president's demeanor: one X user wrote, "I love how he pops out of it for a few seconds then closes his eyes again and he's right back in dream land. This is getting ridiculous." Another asked why reporters present did not call attention to what they had just witnessed. A third compared the moment to past political taunts, writing, "What a loser," referencing Trump’s longstanding nickname for former President Joe Biden.

Others defended the president. "In Trump's defense, good Lord, the speaker is boring," one supporter commented.

Director of the National Institutes of Health Jay Bhattacharya (L) speaks before President Donald Trump signs an executive order calling for more research and flexibility on vaccines (AFP via Getty Images)

"President Trump's sharpness, unmatched energy, and historic accessibility stand in stark contrast to what we saw during the last administration when Democrats and the legacy media intentionally covered up Joe Biden's serious mental and physical decline from the American people. President Trump is the sharpest and most accessible President in American history who is working nonstop to solve problems and deliver on his promises." — White House statement

Health Concerns And Official Responses

Trump, the oldest person ever inaugurated as president, has faced ongoing scrutiny over his health since returning to the White House. Observers have pointed to other occasions in which he appeared to close his eyes for extended periods during public events, including a recent funeral.

CNN medical analyst Dr. Jonathan Reiner told reporters in May that the president shows signs of "severe daytime somnolence," saying, "He falls asleep very often. He's fallen asleep in the Oval Office on multiple occasions with people talking to him." Dr. Reiner cautioned that chronic sleep problems can raise dementia risk and impair cognition in older adults.

Trump has repeatedly insisted he is in excellent health. After a physical at Walter Reed in May, the president posted on Truth Social that "everything" had "checked out PERFECTLY." Public skepticism remains: a YouGov poll conducted last year found that 78% of respondents believed Trump had not been fully transparent about his physical health.

The Independent has contacted the White House for further comment.