Fox News paused its regular programme during Donald Trump’s press briefing in the Oval Office, as the US president appeared to be “dozing off”, leaving viewers jokingly calling him the “Commander-in-Sleep”.

In footage shared on X, Trump was seen leaning back in his chair while he gave floor to Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum. Trump was seen closing his eyes for several moments, before he turned to Lee, who said: “For too long, you saw Democrats who were telling these coal miners, they should just learn to code. And what we saw at the Biden adminstration at the EPA was regulation, after regulation, trying to strangulate its existance.”

The moment caught people’s attention, with Democratic New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s press office account tweeted: “Sleeping is far better than listening to Lee Zeldin talk”.

The White House denied that Trump was asleep.

This is not the first time the president was caught “sleeping” on camera. In a similar incident on May 11, a reporter posted a photo of Trump with his eyes closed.

On this occasion, the team fired back and denied the sleeping allegations. They said: “His eyes are literally open in the clip you posted.”

White House spokesperson David Ingle also responded to Daily Beast’s press request: “President Trump is the sharpest, most accessible, and energetic president in American history,” adding, “President Trump is working around the clock to make our country greater than ever before.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio previously responded to the allegations of Trump nodding off during Cabinet meetings and other public appearances. He said in a congressional hearing: “That’s false. I’ve never seen him fall asleep. On the contrary, the guy doesn’t sleep, which is a big problem because he calls me at two in the morning. He calls me at five in the morning. And, you know, I like to sleep a little bit.”