Critics keeping eyes peeled for 'extra-long blinks' ahead of address by 'tired' Trump
The President arrived in Davos, Switzerland Wednesday morning ahead of his address to the World Economic Forum, but his busy schedule over the past several days, coupled with a three-hour delay due to a mechanical issue with Air Force One, has fueled speculation among critics that he may struggle to stay alert during the speech, Politico reported Wednesday.
“How the president’s feeling: Tired, you’d imagine. He didn’t get home from the college football national championship game on Monday night until well after 2 a.m., and then did that 104-minute press briefing at the White House yesterday,” reads Politico's report.
“Now he’s prepared for a busy day of diplomacy with a very extended, back-and-forth overnight flight to Switzerland. Trump’s critics will be watching the video feeds today for any extra-long ‘blinks.’”
Trump has increasingly been accused of having dozed off during cabinet meetings and press conferences, so much so that the president’s apparent sleep deprivation is “emerging as a concern within his inner circle.”
To address the optics of Trump falling asleep or appearing to fall asleep during public appearances, his staff has “counseled him to try to keep his eyes open during public events,” The Wall Street Journal reported. White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles has also reportedly urged cabinet members to shorten presentations to avoid future public sleeping spells – or the appearance of sleeping spells – from the president.
At 79, Trump is the oldest sitting U.S. president in history, and has increasingly shown signs of aging, both physically and mentally. Mentally, critics have noted Trump’s Trump’s increasingly frequent "incoherent" speeches. Physically, critics have noted the White House’s efforts to hide Trump’s swollen ankles and dark bruises on his hands. The president’s MRI scan last year has also raised further questions as to the state of his health.