Fact Check: Did Trump doze off during his meeting with Turkey President Erdogan?

ANKARA, TURKEY: Several videos claiming to show President Donald Trump falling asleep during high-profile events have gone viral since late 2025 and throughout 2026, including alleged footage from Cabinet meetings and international peace agreement signings. 

A latest viral clip claims to show Trump dozing off during a bilateral meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in July 2026. But does the video actually show Trump asleep?

Claim: Trump dozed off during bilateral meeting with Turkish President Erdogan

On July 7, 2026, Trump met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during a bilateral meeting held alongside the NATO summit in Turkey.

Shortly afterward, several social media posts claimed that video from the meeting showed Trump falling asleep on camera.

One widely shared Facebook post by journalist Don Lemon referenced previous viral clips of Trump appearing to doze off during public events, writing, "Trump once again fell asleep while meeting with Turkey's President, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan."

The post included a 65-second video from the bilateral meeting that quickly spread across social media.

The footage shows Trump seated with his hands clasped in his lap for most of the meeting. He remains largely still, with his head slightly tilted downward and his eyes appearing closed or heavily lidded for several moments.

Throughout the clip, he occasionally blinks and makes small head movements but does not visibly speak or gesture. Is the claim about Trump dozing off true?

Fact Check: False, the video does not show Trump dozing

The video used in the viral claim is authentic, but it does not show Donald Trump dozing off during his meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The clip circulating online has been cropped, removing the context that explains Trump's movements. In the full video, Trump repeatedly leans to his right to listen to an interpreter translating Erdogan's remarks into English. As a result, the viral posts misrepresent what the footage actually shows.

A review of the White House livestream provides additional context. Both leaders had interpreters seated behind them throughout the meeting. When Trump spoke in English, the interpreter seated behind Erdogan translated his remarks into Turkish. Likewise, whenever Erdogan spoke or a journalist asked a question in Turkish, Trump leaned to his right to listen to the English translation.

The moment featured in the viral clip occurs at around the 13-minute mark. Because Trump lowered his head and looked downward while listening, some viewers may have mistaken the posture for dozing off.

A review of the full meeting found no evidence that Trump fell asleep. Throughout the event, he repeatedly leaned toward the interpreter whenever Turkish was being spoken. The complete footage shows him remaining engaged in the discussion rather than sleeping.

The meeting took place during the 2026 NATO summit, where Trump began by criticizing some US allies but later said there was "a lot of love" among NATO members. Alliance leaders also reaffirmed their commitment to mutual defense.

This is not the first time social media users have claimed that Trump appeared to fall asleep during a public event. Similar allegations have circulated in the past, and some have previously been fact-checked. However, no credible reports or official accounts concluded that Trump fell asleep during this meeting with Erdogan.