Trump, 79, Caught Dozing During Knicks Game He Ruined

President Donald Trump was caught with his eyes closed in public yet again, this time during Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden, where his attendance was decidedly controversial.

After being greeted with rude gestures and critical signs ahead of the game before facing a chorus of deafening boos during the national anthem, the president was recorded later during the game with his eyes closed, appearing to have fallen asleep.

“He was blinking, you absolute moron,” the White House-associated X account @RapidResponse47 wrote at the time in response to a Reuters photograph of the president with his eyes shut.

The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez weighed in on the president’s apparent mid-game nap, reposting Gallina’s video on X and writing, “WAKE TF UP.”

The president has been caught with his eyes closed during multiple public appearances since returning to the White House in January 2025, alarming experts who describe the habit as “not normal.”

His incident at Monday night’s game comes just days after the 79-year-old was seen slumped in his chair and struggling to stay awake in the Oval Office.

Dr. Jonathan Reiner, who served as former Vice President Dick Cheney’s cardiologist for decades, wrote on X in response to a video of the president slumped in his chair on Thursday, “A glaring omission from the president’s recent physical examination is any mention of his sleep disorder. This is not normal.”

In addition to closing his eyes during public appearances, the president has also developed a reputation for posting late-night Truth Social tirades, regularly firing off multiple posts between the hours of 9 p.m. and 6 a.m.

A Daily Beast analysis of the president’s posts found that there were only five days in April when it would have been possible for the 79-year-old to have had a full night’s sleep.

The president’s attendance at the game was mired in controversy from the start, with fans and commentators alike expressing concern that his presence would create logistical problems for other attendees.

“You don’t understand what Monday is going to be like in New York City,” sports commentator Stephen A. Smith argued after telling listeners of his SiriusXM radio show that he didn’t want Trump at the event. “There is nothing short of madness that is coming the way of everybody come Monday.”

That madness included authorities shutting down the streets surrounding Madison Square Garden from 4 p.m. despite Penn Station, a major commuter hub, being located directly beneath the arena. A highly anticipated watch party planned for outside the venue was canceled, another casualty of Trump’s visit.

Trump Warned to Stay Away From Knicks GameFULL-COURT PRESS

Olivia Ralph

Fans who were lucky enough to score tickets to the game were also affected, finding themselves stuck in long lines outside the venue for hours.

Attendees made their displeasure known, loudly booing the president during the national anthem. Fans who attended a watch party in Bryant Park, organized by Mayor Zohran Mamdani after the MSG watch party was canceled, also booed the president, as did fans lining the streets of New York who saw his motorcade drive past.

“TRUMP indisputably booed loudly at 8:36pm when they put an image of a saluting President Trump on the Jumbotron during the National Anthem,” CBS Senior White House Correspondent Ed O’Keefe wrote on X.

Pool reporter Jeff Mordock of The Washington Times noted that the president was “thunderously booed,” adding that the boos quickly changed to cheers when the camera panned to Knicks player Jalen Brunson.