President Donald Trump was ridiculed Saturday after critics said he appeared to doze off during a press conference about the United States’ unprecedented attack on Venezuela and capturing of its president.
Held at Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, Trump’s eyes appeared to shut for extended periods of time while Gen. Dan Caine, Trump’s chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, was providing new details about the attack on Venezuela.
“Nothing says end of empire like a grasping regime change war launched by an aging leader who can't even stay awake for the announcement,” wrote former MSNBC host Krystal Ball Saturday in a social media post on X.
“A literal coup isn’t thrilling enough to keep him awake,” wrote another, Peter Rothpletz, a journalist with Zeteo and contributor to The New York Times and other major news outlets.
The attack was carried out early Saturday morning on the nation’s capital, Caracas, where Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro was subsequently captured and transported to New York where he’s expected to face trial on drug-trafficking charges. No Americans were killed during the operation, though an offhanded remark by Trump suggested Venezuelans might have been killed.
Given the severity of the news that was being relayed during the press conference, online critics were stunned that Trump appeared to struggle keeping his eyes open, including author Aaron Bastani, who wrote in a social media post that when Trump did speak, he sounded “exhausted.”
“Trump sounds exhausted while talking, and can’t keep his eyes open,” Bastani wrote. “The neocons got what they wanted. Curious to see when he’s disposed of.”
Nothing says end of empire like a grasping regime change war launched by an aging leader who can't even stay awake for the announcement. https://t.co/QF0BJzIii2
— Krystal Ball (@krystalball) January 3, 2026