--- title: "Trump appears sleepy at 9/11 Pentagon ceremony" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/trump-appears-sleepy-at-911-pentagon-ceremony" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/trump-appears-sleepy-at-911-pentagon-ceremony" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/trump-appears-sleepy-at-911-pentagon-ceremony.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/trump-appears-sleepy-at-911-pentagon-ceremony" category: "Politics" area: "United States" published: "2026-09-11T16:46:13.302Z" source_reported: "2026-09-11T15:37:15.000Z" updated: "2026-09-11T16:46:13.302Z" trust_score: 86 critic_score: 79 hype_score: 55 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-09-11T17:30:34.551943+00:00" --- # Trump appears sleepy at 9/11 Pentagon ceremony *Viewers and a Reuters photograph noted the former president's eyes were closed during the event.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 86 of 100, higher is better. Trust 86: multiple named sources, official White House statement, and independent outlets corroborate Trump’s attendance and viewers noting his sleepiness. - Craft 79 of 100, higher is better. Critic 79: explains relevance, quotes officials, separates facts from comments, but headlines overstate the claim. - Hype 55 of 100, lower is better. Hype 55: sensational headlines exaggerate sleep‑appearance claim, creating notable clickbait beyond the modest reporting. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Former President Donald Trump attended the 25th anniversary 9/11 ceremony at the Pentagon. - Viewers and a Reuters photograph showed Trump with his eyes closed and head nodding. - The White House stated Trump was "solemnly listening" and remembering victims. - Vice President JD Vance attended the New York City ground zero ceremony. Former President Donald Trump attended the 25th anniversary 9/11 ceremony at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. During the event, viewers and online commenters reported that Trump appeared sleepy, with his eyes closed and head nodding. A Reuters photograph captured Trump with his eyes shut and chin lowered toward his chest. The White House issued a statement saying the president was "solemnly listening" and remembering the victims. Vice President JD Vance was in New York City at ground zero for a separate commemoration. ## Disagreement on Trump's state during the ceremony The White House stated that Donald Trump was "solemnly listening" and remembering the victims. White House spokesman Davis Ingle told The Independent that anyone claiming the president was asleep was lying. However, The Independent also reported that dozens of people online commented that Trump looked "sleepy" and accused him of falling asleep. LADbible reported similar comments from viewers, with one person writing, "Trump is literally falling asleep at the wheel at the Pentagon Ceremony." ## What the coverage left out None of the reports printed below mention Vice President JD Vance's activities at the New York City ground zero ceremony. The right-rated outlets did not run this story at all. ## Who covered it Shares of the 7 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 86% (6) - Centre: 14% (1) - Right: 0% (0) 3 of 10 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-09-11T17:30:34.551943+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 7 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-09-11T18:30:32.460Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - Six left-rated reports focused on accusations that Donald Trump appeared to be asleep during the 9/11 Pentagon ceremony. The Independent, in its full report, stated that viewers commented Trump looked "sleepy" and accused him of falling asleep, with some saying his eyes were closed for extended periods. The White House's statement that Trump was "solemnly listening" was presented alongside these observations. Raw Story and Alternet highlighted a Reuters photograph showing Trump with his eyes shut and chin lowered. Mirror US reported Trump "struggles to stay awake" with his head nodding. The New Republic stated directly that Trump "falls asleep on stage." The Independent digests also noted online comments about Trump appearing "sleepy" and slumped in his seat. ### Centre - The centre-rated LADbible report highlighted that Donald Trump "appears to fall asleep" during the 9/11 memorial. It noted viewers were "outraged at the president" and that he had been criticised for appearing to nod off. The report included social media comments from viewers stating Trump was "asleep" or "falling asleep at the wheel." It also mentioned that this was not the first time Trump had been accused of sleeping during events. ### Right No separate framing summary. **Provisional coverage gap:** right. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - veryLow: 1 - mixed: 3 - high: 3 - unknown: 3 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [Independent Español](https://independentespanol.com/politica/ee-uu/trump-dormido-servicio-pentagono-b3048796.html) — Spectators Accuse Trump of Falling Asleep During the 9/11 Commemoration - [KalingaTV](https://kalingatv.com/world/us-president-donald-trump-participates-in-9-11-observance-ceremony) — US President Donald Trump Participates in 9/11 Observance Ceremony, Watch - [Raw Story](https://rawstory.com/trump-eyes-close-911-ceremony) — Shocking photo shows Trump apparently asleep at 9/11 ceremony - [Alternet](https://alternet.org/trump-at-911-memorial) — Signs of 'neurological issue' as slumped Trump 'can’t keep his eyes open' - [The Independent (US)](https://the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-asleep-pentagon-service-b3048741.html) — Trump accused of falling asleep by viewers during 9/11 remembrance at the Pentagon - [The Independent](https://independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-asleep-pentagon-service-b3048741.html) — Trump accused of falling asleep by viewers during 9/11 remembrance at the Pentagon - [The LADbible](https://ladbible.com/news/us-news/donald-trump-9-11-memorial-851302-20260911) — Donald Trump appears to fall asleep during 9/11 memorial as people outraged at president - [Naftemporiki](https://naftemporiki.gr/kosmos/2160433/stin-teleti-mnimis-gia-tin-11-septemvrioy-o-ntonalnt-tramp) — Donald Trump at the 9/11 Memorial Service - [Mirror US](https://themirror.com/news/politics/donald-trump-asleep-pentagon-event-2020521) — Donald Trump struggles to stay awake at 9/11 memorial as head rocks back and forth - [The New Republic](https://newrepublic.com/post/215324/trump-falls-asleep-september-11-ceremony) — Trump Falls Asleep on Stage at September 11 Ceremony ## Questions **What did Donald Trump do at the 9/11 ceremony?** Donald Trump attended the 25th anniversary 9/11 ceremony at the Pentagon. Viewers and a Reuters photograph indicated he appeared sleepy, with his eyes closed and head nodding during the event. The White House stated he was "solemnly listening" and remembering the victims. **What did the White House say about Trump appearing sleepy?** The White House issued a statement saying that Donald Trump was "solemnly listening" and remembering the victims. A White House spokesman told The Independent that anyone claiming the president was asleep was lying. **Where was Vice President JD Vance during the ceremony?** While Donald Trump attended the 25th anniversary 9/11 ceremony at the Pentagon, Vice President JD Vance was in New York City at ground zero for a separate commemoration. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/trump-appears-sleepy-at-911-pentagon-ceremony. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Trump appears sleepy at 9/11 Pentagon ceremony", https://mediabias.news/politics/trump-appears-sleepy-at-911-pentagon-ceremony