After landing in Switzerland for the World Economic Forum, President Donald Trump descended the plane slowly and unsteadily, leaning heavily on the railing as cameras rolled. Air Force One had been forced back to Washington earlier because of an electrical malfunction, delaying his arrival by hours, and the 79-year-old president appeared visibly worn as he stepped onto the tarmac — reinforcing growing concerns that he looks more like someone overdue for retirement than someone leading the country on the world stage.
Once on the tarmac, he turned toward reporters, but his words were nearly impossible to discern over the roar of jet engines — not exactly the image of a world leader commanding attention.
Later, footage posted by White House Communications Adviser Margo Martin shows Trump trudging up a red carpet toward his helicopter, breathing hard and wobbling enough to make observers do a double take.
This isn’t an isolated moment. Trump’s schedule leading up to this included a late-night college football game and a marathon 104-minute press conference the day before. Add in the plane delay and you’ve got a recipe for the most somnolent world leader since someone decided “afternoon naps” should be a cabinet position.
The optics are feeding a drumbeat of concern. Critics have been loudly questioning Trump’s stamina and cognitive fitness, pointing to instances where he’s dozed off during high-profile meetings, exhibited memory lapses, slurred his speech, and generally looked like a man who’s deep into his eighth decade but pretends he’s 47. Some medical professionals and former aides have publicly raised alarm bells about what they see as signs of mental and physical decline.
Watch the clip below:
