A group of conservatives visited the Oval Office on Friday and announced they want to remove a key safeguard for religious freedom in America: the separation of church and state. However, the main takeaway on social media was how Donald Trump appeared to fall asleep during the meeting.
Religious Liberty Commission Proposes 'Bridges' Instead of Wall
Members of the Religious Liberty Commission, an organization made up almost entirely of conservative Christians, showed up at the White House to suggest that there should be “bridges” between religion and politics rather than “a wall of separation,” as Thomas Jefferson once wrote.
Despite the high stakes, the president appeared to nod off while others spoke. The White House social media department described a similar incident in May as a prolonged time “blinking.”
Videos posted online showed Trump with his eyes closed for extended periods. One clip from Acyn showed the president with drooping eyelids, while another from Headquarters captured what appeared to be a long blink. A third video, posted by Republicans against Trump, showed him waking suddenly, prompting calls for the 25th Amendment.
Social Media Reacts to Trump's 'Blinks'
Since this has happened before, one user, Scary Lawyerguy, questioned why reporters in the room don’t attempt to wake Trump during one of his in-meeting “blinks.” He wrote, “There are reporters in the room every time he dozes off and not one of them speaks up and is like SIR, ARE YOU AWAKE? They just stand there, saying NOTHING while this guy routinely falls asleep in public. Really embarrassing.”
Ron Shillman joked, “Are you sure he doesn’t have a Bible on his lap that he’s reading?” Bad Fox Graphics compared Trump to Dr. Phil, saying, “Even @DrPhil is struggling to keep his eyes open.”
Congressman Ted Lieu tweeted, “Today is Friday. That means trump is sleeping on the job, again.” Lucas Sanders wondered what Trump might be dreaming about as Dan Patrick spoke. Mark Slapinski called for impeachment, writing, “BREAKING: Trump caught dozing off while on the job once again. Time to impeach.”
White House Defends President's Attentiveness
White House spokesperson Davis Ingle dismissed the criticism, saying, “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 like the failing Huffington Post 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.”
