A Fox News host faced backlash after he said it was "remarkable" that President Donald Trump could walk during a G7 event in France.
John Roberts, co-anchor of "America Reports" on Fox News, remarked live Monday as Trump arrived at the Group of Seven summit in Évian-les-Bains — hours after footage circulated of the president apparently nodding off cage-side at his own White House UFC event.
"The fact that he could even walk, Peter, given all he's been through in the last twenty-four hours, I think, really is quite remarkable," Roberts told Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy during live coverage of the summit's opening arrivals. "He's gotta be beyond exhausted."
Video from the night before had circulated widely, showing Trump with his eyes closed and his head leaning during the main event of UFC Freedom 250 — his own 80th birthday celebration on the White House South Lawn. The Mirror reported that Trump appeared to rouse when music began playing, purportedly asking those nearby, "What just happened?"
Trump had drawn similar scrutiny the week before for apparently nodding off during Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a New York Democrat, posted on X, "WAKE TF UP," in response to the footage, while detractors had taken to calling Trump the "Commander-in-Sleep."
"Why are old Republicans always graded on a curve?" wrote Mehta on X, quote-posting the Roberts clip.
"The emperor has clothes! He has so many clothes! I promise he's clothed!" Cocchiarella added on X, riffing on the fairy tale.
Trump had hosted the UFC event Sunday night, sitting cage-side between first lady Melania Trump and UFC CEO Dana White, before boarding Air Force One for an overnight flight to France.
Both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had phoned Trump on his birthday, with the conflicts in Ukraine and Iran expected to dominate the summit.
The G7 runs through Wednesday.
