President Joe Biden faced backlash on Monday after cameras appeared to catch him struggling to stay awake at times during the opening speeches at 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, also known as COP26.
Zach Purser Brown, a reporter at The Washington Post, posted video footage of the incident, writing: āBiden appears to fall asleep during COP26 opening speeches.ā
WATCH:
Biden appears to fall asleep during COP26 opening speeches pic.twitter.com/az8NZTWanI
ā Zach Purser Brown (@zachjourno) November 1, 2021
Some of the top responses to the incident included:
- Former President Donald Trump: āBiden went to Europe saying Global Warming is his highest priority, and then promptly fell asleep, for all the world to see, at the Conference itself. Nobody that has true enthusiasm and belief in a subject will ever fall asleep!ā
- Rep. Mark Green (R-NC): āThe face of the man who said climate change was the ānumber one issueā facing humanity. š“ā
- Ben Shapiro, The Daily Wire: āGreta. Is. Disappointed. In. You.ā
- Stephen Miller, political commentator: āJoe Biden⦠Wake up.ā
- Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-TX): āNOBODY in their right mind believes this man is actually running our country. Itās so painfully obvious heās not physically or mentally up for the job, that itās EMBARRASSING. He needs to resign. America deserves better than this.ā
- Piers Morgan, political commentator: āJeez⦠not the best look when youāre trying to tell the word to wake up.ā
- Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC): āSweet dreams, Mr. President.ā
- Tyler Zed, podcaster: āYou guys⦠this is embarrassing⦠for Godās sake 25th him already.ā
- Rep. Jody Hice (R-GA): āPresident Biden is literally asleep at the wheel while Americans face unprecedented crises on almost every front.ā
- Josh Glancy, reporter: āThis is troubling.ā
- Tim Murtaugh, former Trump campaign spokesperson: āThis is remarkable. His staff clearly saw that Biden had fallen asleep and sent someone in to wake him up. Watch the whole thing.ā
- Kayleigh McEnany, former White House press secretary: āAn unfortunate metaphor for the Biden presidency š“ š“ š“ā
- Tony Shaffer, political commentator: ā25th amendment now⦠@JoeBiden is beyond incompetent and incontinent ā heās incapable and dangerousā¦ā
- John Cardillo, political commentator: āI for one sleep better knowing the demented great grandparents are in charge.ā
- Comfortably Smug: āHoly s**t it looks like Biden fell asleep at the climate thing and an aide had to hustle over to wake him up. Anyone see this????ā
- House Republicans: āAmerica is in crisis, and Joe Biden is asleep at the wheel.ā
- Arnesa BuljuÅ”miÄ-Kustura, writer: āHeās 78 years old. Like maybe you guys should stopping voting for people who should definitely be retired, gardening, and taking cat napsā¦you know?ā
- Sanya Burgess, reporter: āNot a great lookā¦ā
- Katrina Pierson, political strategist: āLetās Go Brandon!ā
- Chris Krok, radio host: āThe President is always on alert! Always watching!ā
- Matthew Loop, speaker: Say what you want but he does stay on brand šā
- Kelly OāDonnell, NBC News: āHe was seen on camera with his eyes closed, it appears that perhaps he was dozing. In these settings, cameras are all around. The camera caught President Biden, who turns 79 later this month, with his eyes closed for a period of time, and youāre right, these can be embarrassing situations.ā