A photo circulating on social media claims to show former President Donald Trump asleep during the 2017 NATO summit in Brussels. This claim gained traction on August 6, 2024, with posts on Threads presenting the image as evidence of Trump dozing off at the event. However, a closer look reveals that this claim is false.
The photo in question, captured by photographer Robert Ghement, depicts Trump with his head bowed during the summit. According to the official caption, Trump was not sleeping but rather “looking down” during NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg’s speech. Video footage from the event supports this description, showing Trump engaged with his phone and seated with his arms crossed. There is no indication in the footage that he was asleep.
Meta, which oversees platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, flagged the claim for misinformation. Their efforts to combat false news involve reviewing and addressing such misleading content. In this case, the claim that Trump was asleep has been thoroughly debunked, as no credible evidence or news reports substantiate the notion that he was caught sleeping during the summit.
