Hunter Biden is turning one of Donald Trump’s favorite political nicknames back on the president, arguing that Trump should face the same questions about age, alertness, and fitness that followed Joe Biden throughout his presidency.
During a wide-ranging appearance on the Macrodosing podcast, released July 30, Hunter questioned why Trump’s public moments with his eyes closed have not produced the same political uproar that surrounded his father. The nearly three-hour conversation covered Hunter’s family, recovery from addiction, legal controversies and his criticism of the Trump family.
“This whole Sleepy Joe thing. If that’s the standard, then why aren’t we having the 25th Amendment right now?” Hunter said. He then claimed Trump had fallen asleep while surrounded by Cabinet officials, insisting viewers could see that the president was “sleeping” and “out” in publicly available footage.
The remark landed because Trump spent years using “Sleepy Joe” to paint the former president as tired, confused and incapable of handling the demands of the White House. Hunter’s argument was simple: Either visible signs of fatigue matter for every president, or the nickname was always more about political branding than a consistent standard.
Hunter Biden Says Trump Faces a Double Standard
Hunter’s criticism was not presented as a medical diagnosis. It was a political accusation aimed at what he described as hypocrisy among Trump’s supporters.
His reference appears connected to footage from a Cabinet meeting, when Trump kept his eyes closed for extended periods as officials spoke. It was reported that the televised meeting lasted more than three hours, giving viewers plenty of time to study every expression, pause, and movement around the table.
However, Hunter’s description did not precisely match the documented setting. The Cabinet meeting occurred in the White House Cabinet Room, not with Trump seated behind the Resolute Desk. The distinction matters because several different videos and images involving Trump’s closed eyes have circulated online, and some were later found to be altered.
In April 2026, for example, genuine footage from an Oval Office health care event showed Trump closing his eyes at different moments. A separate image that appeared to show him deeply asleep with his face near the desk was fake, according to an AFP investigation. The fabricated picture came from a parody video created with editing software and artificial intelligence tools.
The authentic footage showed Trump leaning to one side, looking down and closing his eyes. It did not prove that he had fallen asleep. That means Hunter’s statement should be understood as his interpretation of Trump’s behavior, not as an independently confirmed account of the president sleeping during official business.
Trump Says He Was Bored, Not Sleeping
Trump has already answered the central accusation.
Speaking at another televised Cabinet meeting on January 29, the president said he had not fallen asleep during the lengthy December gathering. Instead, he joked that he had become bored while listening to officials deliver their reports.
“I didn’t sleep. I just closed them because I wanted to get the hell outta here,” Trump told the room, drawing laughter from members of his administration. He later added, “I don’t sleep much.”
Reuters reported that Trump did not appear to nod off during the January meeting. The news agency also noted that his public schedule, frequent media appearances and long televised meetings have become part of the White House effort to emphasize his stamina.
Still, moments showing Trump with his eyes closed have repeatedly attracted attention because he used the “Sleepy Joe” label so aggressively. Even after Joe Biden left office, Trump continued using the nickname and criticizing his predecessor’s mental and physical fitness.
That history gave Hunter an obvious opening. He did not need to prove that Trump was medically incapacitated to make his broader political point. He only needed to show that behavior once treated as disqualifying under Joe Biden is being explained differently when Trump does something that looks similar.
Why the 25th Amendment Reference Is Mostly Political
Hunter’s reference to the 25th Amendment sounds dramatic, but a podcast comment, viral clip or public campaign cannot trigger the amendment.
Section 4 allows the vice president and a majority of the Cabinet to declare that a president is unable to perform the powers and duties of the office. The vice president would then serve as acting president. If the president disputes the declaration, the matter can eventually go before Congress.
Congressional Research Service guidance stresses that Section 4 was designed to address presidential inability, not simply to remove a president who is unpopular or whose performance is heavily criticized. It also identifies the vice president as essential to beginning the process.
Section 4 has never been used. Previous presidents have temporarily transferred authority under a different provision, Section 3, usually while undergoing medical procedures, but an involuntary transfer involving the vice president and Cabinet remains untested.
There is currently no publicly documented move by Trump’s vice president or Cabinet to invoke the amendment over his fitness for office. Closing one’s eyes during a long meeting, by itself, also does not establish the kind of incapacity contemplated by the Constitution.
Hunter Biden’s challenge is therefore better understood as a demand for political consistency. Trump built a powerful attack around the idea that a president who appeared tired could not be trusted with the job. Now that cameras have captured Trump repeatedly closing his eyes during official events, Hunter is asking whether that standard was ever meant to apply equally.
The Constitution may not be entering the picture, but the “Sleepy” label has clearly come full circle.
