White House Denies Trump Fell Asleep at Lindsey Graham's Funeral, Calls Reports 'Depraved'
Key Takeaways
- •President Donald Trump was recorded with his eyes closed during Senator Lindsey Graham's funeral service at Washington National Cathedral on Tuesday, shortly after delivering a eulogy.
- •White House spokesperson Davis Ingle denied that Trump had fallen asleep, saying he was reflecting on the loss of a dear friend.
- •Graham and Trump transformed their bitter 2016 primary rivalry into one of the most prominent political alliances of Trump's presidency.
- •The funeral incident follows other occasions where Trump appeared to nod off publicly, including at a May Oval Office event on maternal health policy.
- •Each episode has reignited questions about presidential health and stamina, issues that have persisted throughout Trump's second term as the oldest person to serve as president.
The White House issued a sharp rebuke on Wednesday after President Donald Trump was captured on camera with his eyes closed during the funeral service for the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) at Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C.
The footage, recorded on Tuesday, shows Trump with his eyes shut shortly after delivering a eulogy for Graham, a longtime Republican ally and former golf partner. Graham, who served as a U.S. senator from South Carolina for more than two decades, was a central figure in Republican politics and chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee. His relationship with Trump evolved from bitter rivalry during the 2016 Republican primary — when Graham was among Trump's sharpest critics — into one of the most high-profile political alliances of Trump's presidency, making Trump's eulogy a closely watched moment. The memorial was held at the historic cathedral, a venue long used for state and national ceremonial services.
White House spokesperson Davis Ingle, in a statement to People, firmly denied that the president had fallen asleep.
Trump "was reflecting on the loss of his dear friend Lindsey Graham, for whom he had just delivered a beautiful eulogy," Ingle said. "Anyone suggesting otherwise is a depraved moron."
The episode marks the latest in a series of incidents in which Trump has appeared to nod off in public settings. Administration officials have previously defended the president on similar occasions, including during Oval Office meetings and at sporting events. Each occurrence has drawn fresh scrutiny of presidential health and stamina, issues that have trailed Trump throughout his second term as the oldest person ever to hold the office.
In May, the White House responded aggressively after Trump was photographed with his eyes closed during an Oval Office event focused on maternal health policy.
"He was blinking, you absolute moron," the White House Rapid Response account wrote on X at the time.
Footage of Trump at Graham's funeral circulated widely on social media after being posted by commentator Keith Edwards on July 28, 2026:
Trump fell asleep at Lindsey Graham's funeral pic.twitter.com/hpgtvFM4hN — Keith Edwards (@keithedwards) July 28, 2026