'Grandpa needs a nap': Trump mocked as he can't keep eyes open during peace signing
President of Angola and Chairperson of the African Union Joao Lourenco speaks next to U.S. President Donald Trump and President of Kenya William Ruto during a signing ceremony at the U.S. Institute of Peace in Washington, D.C., U.S., December 4, 2025. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

President Donald Trump amused onlookers when he appeared to nod off — again — Thursday at a peace-themed signing ceremony for a U.S.-brokered pact between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda.

The event was being held at the U.S. Institute of Peace in Washington, D.C., where Trump was hosting Presidents Félix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Paul Kagame of Rwanda.

But as one speaker took the stage, Trump appeared to look down and struggled to keep his eyes open. The 79-year-old president's eyes briefly shut before he forced them open and looked at the speaker.

The internet mocked Trump, who has appeared to doze off in other meetings recently.

Shannon Watts, founder of the Moms Demand Action grassroots movement to combat gun violence, joked on X, "Listening intently.”

Former CNN anchor Jim Acost jabbed on X, "More like the Institute of PeaZzzz."

The Seneca Project, a women-led organization dedicated to preserving democracy, chided on X, "Looks like grandpa needs a nap…again."

Former MSNBC host Keith Olbermann joked on X, "Donald, with 50 zzzzzzzzzzzzzz's."

Evan Rosenfeld, deputy digital director at The Bulwark, wrote on X, "Trump now consistently falling asleep during meetings is perhaps the most relatable thing he’s done this term."

Ty McEachern, a former communications staffer for New Hampshire and North Carolina Democrats, wrote on X, "He’s falling asleep in public daily and all I can assume is the journalists who spent an entire election cycle hitting me and my colleagues up for quotes about Biden’s stamina must be sleeping on the f---in job too."