Trump's Conduct at Graham Funeral Sparks Online Debate

President Donald Trump appeared to struggle staying awake during the funeral service for the late Senator Lindsey Graham at Washington National Cathedral on Tuesday, while also being captured on video offering mints to Vice President JD Vance. The incidents drew immediate mockery online and revived questions about the 80-year-old president's fitness for office.

Graham, the influential South Carolina Republican known for his hawkish foreign policy stance, died earlier this month from an aortic rupture. The service brought together U.S. officials, foreign dignitaries including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and other mourners to honor his legacy. Trump, seated in the front row, was filmed with his eyes closed for extended periods, at times seeming on the verge of nodding off entirely.

Social media users reacted swiftly with a mix of exasperation and pointed reminders of Trump's past attacks on his predecessor. One commenter noted the president holds the nuclear codes, while another highlighted the irony of Trump dozing off far more than Joe Biden ever did. Several users recalled Trump's repeated nickname of "Sleepy Joe" for Biden and suggested the same scrutiny would have persisted for years if roles were reversed.

The White House pushed back on the interpretation. Spokesperson Davis Ingle stated that Trump was reflecting on the loss of his dear friend and had delivered a beautiful eulogy. Any suggestion otherwise, Ingle added, came from depraved morons.

Separately, footage showed Trump reaching over to offer Vance a mint during the proceedings, with both men smiling briefly amid the solemn setting. That lighter moment also spread rapidly online, adding to the stream of commentary about the president's conduct at the event.

Graham's death marked the sudden loss of a longtime Senate fixture whose career spanned decades of Republican politics. The funeral drew a broad array of political figures, underscoring his influence on foreign policy debates. Yet attention quickly shifted to Trump's visible fatigue and the mint exchange, which together fueled a fresh round of online discourse about leadership and decorum.

Critics online contrasted the episode with Trump's history of accusing opponents of drowsiness during official duties. Supporters, meanwhile, dismissed the clips as overblown or taken out of context. The dual videos of closed eyes and shared mints kept the story circulating well after the service concluded, reflecting ongoing public focus on the president's behavior in formal settings.