President Donald Trump appeared to fumble during a joint news conference Monday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — where he announced a proposed ceasefire and peace plan for Gaza — and the internet quickly noticed.
"Time ago we had a historic phone call in the Oval Office with Prime Minister [Nawaf Bin Jassim Bin Jabr Al-] Thani, a great, great person, so we had a great talk and I was on the phone and Bibi [Benjamin Netanyahu] was talking to Prime Minister Al-Thani, of Qatar, was... they really had a heart-to-heart conversation, it was a great conversation, I thought," Trump said.
Social media users had quite a few initial thoughts on the president's demeanor, including mention of his previous attacks on former President Joe Biden, whom he often referred to as "sleepy Joe," and questions over whether Trump is mentally fit to serve in the executive office.
"Trump is struggling today," journalist Aaron Rupar wrote on X.
"Genuine question, does he not have a speech writer? I mean that sincerely is there no one assigned to write out a couple of paragraphs for him so he can at least sound like he has two brain cells to rub together?" Blogger Karen Mulreid wrote on X.
"That’s not just struggling. He’s losing his mind before everyone’s eyes," Ann Clark wrote on X.
"Jeez! Remember when Trump went after Biden and accused him of having dementia? When he spoke far clearer than this rambling mess," writer Don McGowan wrote on X.
"Good god this is story-hour-at-the-senior-center energy," writer Sean Colarossi said via X.
"Trump was slurring his words and sounds like he was struggling to think," Patsy Evans, Ph.D., wrote via Bluesky.