On the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, Donald Trump was observed dozing off during a memorial service at the Pentagon, with his eyes closed and head slumped as victim names were read—an incident widely condemned as inappropriate and disrespectful. In sharp contrast, a solemn and unifying ceremony took place in New York City, attended by former presidents and key officials, who demonstrated respect and emotional presence. Trump, however, was not allowed to give a speech and instead attended only as a guest, further emphasizing his absence from the national mourning. His visibly fatigued state and subsequent speech were criticized for being incoherent and politically focused on Iran, rather than honoring the victims or acknowledging the global military coalition that responded to 9/11. The speech ignored the contributions and sacrifices of NATO allies, particularly in Afghanistan, and failed to recognize the broader international effort to combat terrorism. Critics argue that such conduct undermines the gravity of the day, especially when a leader is expected to embody respect, vigilance, and national unity. The incident reflects a broader pattern of perceived lack of professionalism and empathy in Trump’s public behavior, particularly during moments of national remembrance.
So today is the 25th anniversary of 9/11. It's a somber day in this country where we remember everyone who lost their lives that day, people who gave their lives to save others. And that's why what Donald Trump did at his 9/11 event at the Pentagon was so disgusting and embarrassing. He couldn't even stay awake. He was dozing off. He was falling asleep while 9/11 victim names were being read out in front of him, which is just so embarrassing for Trump and the United States of America. I mean, it's horrifying that this is the current state of things that he can't even stay awake for a 9/11 ceremony. It's just appalling. Now, over there at Ground Zero in New York City, President Biden, President Obama, President Clinton, President Bush, Secretary Clinton, former First Lady, Dr. Jill Biden, former First Lady, Michelle Obama, former First Lady Bush were all at the event. And it was a beautiful ceremony, a really, really moving event. And members of the Trump administration were even going up and shaking hands with Joe Biden or Barack Obama, and they were gracious, which is just a testament to their character, to their professionalism. So a really nice event in New York City. But Donald Trump, on the other hand, couldn't even stay awake to honor these victims. Check this out. I want to break it down. Donald Trump struggled to keep his eyes open as the names of victims of the September 11 attacks were read during this memorial service. The 80-year-old president's eyes closed for an extended period. And his head rocked back and forth as he sat on stage at the Pentagon where he and First Lady Melania Trump attended a service on the 25th anniversary of the terror attack. And this is also a real image that was caught of Donald Trump and Melania Trump. Trump, once again, slumped over, appeared to have his eyes closed, maybe be dozing off. His face is a little droopy on one side as well, which I think is worthwhile pointing out. Clips of the president quickly went viral online. Here's another real photo, which, man, a sleepy Donald Trump has decided to take a nap at the Pentagon ceremony said, Boston, Brian. Another read, utterly embarrassing. A guy can't even keep his eyes open at the 9/11 ceremony. And there's just so many different images of this taking place. It's not even like Republicans can pretend to claim that, oh, it's just a bad angle or something like that. He was fully dozing off. And it's like, what, you can stay awake till two in the morning, posting on truth social, posting AI crap on truth social. But you can't stay awake at the 9/11 ceremony. I mean, I really just think this is something that every American should object to, right? The president can't stay awake to listen to the names of 9/11 victims. I mean, it's insane. The president's eyelids appeared to grow heavy as the names of victims were read one by one, followed by the ringing of a bell. He also appeared sleepy as a choir performed. Trump had a taxing week. He flew to Dallas on Wednesday to speak back-to-back nights at his MAGA Fest that drew fewer eyeballs than a typical night of a cable news, actually, which is interesting. Trump rambled for about 106 minutes in his first speech wrapping up at around 11 p.m. The first night, the president delivered a second speech to a less than full arena later that night on the second day, which did not conclude until after 11 p.m. He then flew back to Washington. Trump made headlines at last year, September 11, memorial two, when his face appeared noticeably droopy. And the reason that Donald Trump was at the Pentagon event and not at ground zero in New York City is because, at least, according to reports, he wasn't allowed to give a speech. And that meant that he boycotted the event in its entirety. JD Vance was there. Donald Trump was not. He was at the Pentagon because apparently, he wasn't allowed to give a speech, which meant that he was not coming to the event. Here is some video of Donald Trump falling asleep. This is while the names of 9/11 victims are being read. And seriously, can MAGA look at me with a straight face and say, yeah, this guy is fit to be president? I mean, just look at this. It's insane. And see to it. Barnum and Rosie. Wow. Yeah, this guy look fit. Does he look like he's all there and perfectly with it and fully attending this event, fully being present at this event? I don't think so. I don't even think so a little bit. Of course, this is the image we started the video with where not looking good. Here's another one. Donald has decided to take a nap at the Pentagon ceremony. Look at, I mean, the video is low quality. So it is a little grainy. But I mean, wow, it's like genuinely annoying to see this. It's genuinely frustrating that this is the state of play. Here he is, look, with his face kind of drooped on one side, struggling to stay awake. And just as a fun fact, maybe not so fun fact, Natalie Harp was at the Pentagon. She traveled with Donald Trump for the ceremony today. Then they eventually got into some speeches at the Pentagon and Pete Heggseth for some reason decided to use this time to praise Donald Trump to slumber all over Donald Trump. And it's like, maybe not the 9/11 ceremony, right? Maybe that's not the time to do something like this. But Pete Heggseth felt that it was appropriate. Are ever vigilant, especially this place, especially these people? Over the past six months, we have laid waste to the world's most prolific state sponsor of terrorism. Our warriors have fought an Islamic theocracy that has wished us death for nearly half a century, the cheered on 9/11. A regime that has sponsored terrorist attacks against Americans for decades, killing thousands, including our comrades in Iraq and Afghanistan. But they did not factor in this president. The United States has killed their leaders, destroyed their air force, and their Navy rests at the bottom of the sea. Their defenses are gone. We're still sending terrorists where they belong to hell and tankers to the bottom of the ocean where they belong. Look, this is a rhetorical question because I know the answer to Pete Heggseth. Do you have any shame, an ounce a little? Can you not see how gross this is at a 9/11 ceremony? You are boasting. Boasting about your boss's war that has killed Americans, that has injured Americans that have ruined families. Do they self-awareness at all? No, but of course, being a member of the Trump administration is a perpetual humiliation ritual. So even at a 9/11 ceremony, you're expected to praise him some way, shape, or form. And Pete Heggseth is just simply following the assignment here. Then Donald Trump eventually got up on stage and man-o-man did he sound exhausted. I guess the nap wasn't enough for him to recharge. Secretary Heggseth, Secretary Rice, first lady of the United States, Chairman Kane, members of the United States military, distinguished guests, and my fellow Americans. 25 times we have gathered at this hallowed place and at ground zero in New York and a lonely field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Wow. Speech is not off to a hot start and it continued to get worse because then he began to use his 9/11 speech, just like Pete Heggseth did, to promote his war with Iran. Is anybody shocked? Ensure the world's number one sponsor of terror. The Islamic Republic of Iran will never ever have a nuclear weapon. Wow, yeah, I just-- this is really putting me off. I don't watch this video after lunch. You'll throw it up. This is really off-putting. It's just meant to be a day where you're thinking about everybody who lost their lives. You're meant to be highlighting the heroes. But of course, Donald Trump is doing literally anything but that. And when people's names are read out, he's slumped over. Then Donald Trump saluted America's military, fine. But then ignored all of the other NATO countries who fought with America after 9/11, which he has done consistently might add. There were a lot of countries. Canada, neighbors up north, helped us after 9/11. And Donald Trump, of course, doesn't care about them pretend that they don't even exist. Owners of the earth and done battle with a shadowy enemy so that our children might once again know carefree days and cloudless skies. For 25 years, our best and bravest have kept America safe. And today, we salute every member of the United States military who served in the war on terror. It is a war on sick, horrible terror. We salute our first responders and law enforcement, and we love them. And we salute the --
The service members working right now to ensure the world's number one sponsor of terror, the Islamic Republic. And then, of course, he goes on to promote his war in Iran. But of course, as a heads up, because Donald Trump won't highlight this, so we will. In absolute terms, United States lost by far the most troops of any NATO country in Afghanistan, some European countries with much smaller populations in the U.S., however, lost almost as many troops in relative terms. So if you account for population and things like that, they lost a lot. There were around 1,000 to 1,200 NATO troops who died in Afghanistan. That's a lot of people. And those people's memory deserve to be honored by the United States, remembered by the United States, not just their respective countries. They fought for us. They made the ultimate sacrifice for a different country, and Donald Trump during this speech just outright ignores them. And he said other stuff during this speech, but we don't need to hear him ramble incoherently. It was not a good display by Donald Trump, not that it ever really is. But especially on today, you'd hope that somebody would be on their best behavior. And he certainly wasn't. So look, I will leave the video there. Thank you so much for watching. Please make sure to subscribe down below, drop a like on the video, comment. Let me know what you think about this story, and everything we just talked about. Have an amazing rest of your day. Imagine setting your makeup, then forgetting it's even theirs. Meet new grippy setting mist from Mavily New York. Gel to mist technology locks in your look for up to 24 hours, with flexible, all-day-gum v-grip. No tightness, no stickiness, no residue, just plump, dewy, hydrated skin that still feels like your skin. Try new grippy setting mist from Mavily New York. Maybe it's Mavily. And we will talk soon.
Podcast Summary
Key Points:
Donald Trump dozed off during a 25th-anniversary 9/11 memorial service at the Pentagon, with his eyes closed and head slumped, appearing visibly sleepy as victim names were read.
In contrast, leaders from previous administrations attended a heartfelt and respectful ceremony in New York City, where dignitaries showed professionalism and unity in honoring 9/11 victims.
Trump’s behavior—falling asleep and then delivering a disjointed, politically charged speech focused on Iran—was widely criticized as disrespectful, inappropiate, and dismissive of the solemnity of the occasion, especially given the military and civilian sacrifices made on 9/11.
Summary:
On the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, Donald Trump was observed dozing off during a memorial service at the Pentagon, with his eyes closed and head slumped as victim names were read—an incident widely condemned as inappropriate and disrespectful. In sharp contrast, a solemn and unifying ceremony took place in New York City, attended by former presidents and key officials, who demonstrated respect and emotional presence. Trump, however, was not allowed to give a speech and instead attended only as a guest, further emphasizing his absence from the national mourning.
His visibly fatigued state and subsequent speech were criticized for being incoherent and politically focused on Iran, rather than honoring the victims or acknowledging the global military coalition that responded to 9/11. The speech ignored the contributions and sacrifices of NATO allies, particularly in Afghanistan, and failed to recognize the broader international effort to combat terrorism. Critics argue that such conduct undermines the gravity of the day, especially when a leader is expected to embody respect, vigilance, and national unity.
The incident reflects a broader pattern of perceived lack of professionalism and empathy in Trump’s public behavior, particularly during moments of national remembrance.
FAQs
Trump appeared to doze off multiple times as the names of 9/11 victims were read, with his eyes closed and head rocking back and forth, indicating he struggled to stay awake.
No, Trump was not allowed to give a speech and thus did not attend the Ground Zero ceremony in New York City, leading to his absence from the main events.
Trump began by saluting the military and then focused on promoting his stance against Iran, claiming it is the world's top sponsor of terrorism, despite the solemn nature of the event.
No, Trump ignored the sacrifices of NATO allies, including Canadian and European forces, who fought in the war on terror, and only highlighted U.S. military involvement.
The clips went viral online, with many viewers criticizing Trump's behavior as disrespectful and inappropriate for a memorial honoring 9/11 victims.
He attended the Pentagon event because he was not allowed to give a speech, which meant he did not participate in the main Ground Zero ceremony in New York City.
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