At 79, the pressures of a second presidency seem to be heavily weighing on Donald Trump. Despite insisting he’s in perfect health, he hasn’t seemed to have the same stamina he once did since returning to the White House in January 2025 for a second, nonconsecutive term.
Cameras have repeatedly captured him looking drowsy or disengaged during several meetings over the past year have been overshadowed by his quick naps and head jerks.
The MAGA leader looks even more drained when the headlines turn unforgiving — especially during bruising stretches like the latest Epstein files and ICE controversies that have swallowed up his administration for months.
That same expression read all over Trump’s face during the Feb. 12 press conference in the White House with Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin, who happens to be 33 years younger.
Zeldin, Trump, and other officials gave short remarks about the EPA’s latest deregulatory actions in the Roosevelt Room. Reporters were eventually allowed to ask questions after the president had been standing for nearly 20 minutes, during which the president managed to squeeze in an insulting remark.
By the time the Q&A began, Trump looked drained and dejected from the briefing, where he was also caught sleeping, as evidenced by his gloomy demeanor and droopy face.
“Trump’s face is noticeably drooping again today,” someone on social media pointed out in reaction to a clip of the president at the White House. One reply read, “Holy smokes, you’re not kidding.”
A third Threads user looked at Trump in the video and suggested, “He looks defeated.” The criticism continued with a post that read, “He is looking old and addled. His comments are bizarre.”
In addition, one person took the mockery route by posting, “He looks like he has [catheter] bags under his eyes.”
“He’s melting like the Wicked Witch… Oz,” an X user joked, referring to the famous villain in the classic “The Wizard of Oz” film. Another account on the platform tweeted, “Everything about him is drooping.”
Plus, one Trump detractor theorized, “At this rate, he won’t make it to the midterms. His handlers are disguising his obvious, physical and mental decline.”
Other moments from Trump’s EPA announcement event included his embarrassing backhanded compliment about the EPA administrator’s speech and a quick rush-through answer when asked about his former friend Jeffrey Epstein. Since his inauguration, the president has not been able to fully avoid his past connections or the shocking allegations tied to the deceased financier.
Inquiries about the Epstein controversy have been a major trigger for Trump. Last November, he told a female reporter, “Quiet piggy,” when challenged about his name being in Epstein’s emails. That insult directed at Bloomberg News White House correspondent Catherine Lucey led to widespread condemnation about Trump’s own looks as social media dug up close-ups of his glossy, heavy eyes next to a side-by-side with an image of a pig’s eyes.
For a president who has long weaponized appearance as a political tool, the blowback underscores how quickly that strategy can boomerang. In the age of zoom-ins and viral screenshots, every squint, glare, or tired glance becomes fodder for scrutiny. And as the controversy continues to swirl, it’s not just policy questions trailing him — it’s the optics, too, threatening to linger long after the podium lights dim.
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