College sports fans usually can’t take their eyes off the field during games. Not so for President Donald Trump, who appeared to doze off briefly while discussing the state of the nation’s college athletics.
The president, 79, could be seen closing his eyes while Speaker of the House Mike Johnson gave his opening remarks to a roundtable of experts gathered at the White House on Friday afternoon.
“We know that the foundation of any good deal begins with getting the right people in the right room, and this is the right room and this is historic,” Johnson said.
As he spoke, Trump appeared to shut his eyes for at least half a minute before snapping to attention when Johnson finished regaling the room with anecdotes about “bleeding purple and gold,” a reference to the official colors of his alma mater, Louisiana State University.
“This is a very important meeting. We have a lot of important meetings today, but this is a big one,” Trump said as he opened the event.
The gathering, which saw National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) heads, college athletic directors, and coaches meet with lawmakers, took place as the war with Iran entered its seventh day. No student-athletes were in attendance.
Trump’s eyes are closed as Mike Johnson speaks pic.twitter.com/G0xMNbtAfn
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 6, 2026
The war has engulfed much of the Middle East and left at least 1,000 people dead in Iran, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and six U.S. service members.
The “Save College Sports” roundtable sought support for the Student Compensation and Opportunity through Rights and Endorsements (SCORE) Act, which faces significant challenges in the Senate.
The bill seeks to overhaul the patchwork landscape of collegiate athletics rules that have emerged since the 2021 Supreme Court ruling on student-athlete compensation.
Trump suggested he may sign an executive order to pass the act, which seeks to grant the NCAA a limited antitrust exemption. But critics argue it codifies an “exploitative” system that strips student-athletes of the right to be treated as workers.
When asked by a reporter why he was focusing on sports right now, given the many other pressing issues in America and around the world, Trump replied that the subject was close to his heart, as “many, many colleges are going to be out of business” if the current setup persists.
“I understand what you’re saying about the level of importance, but to me, this is very important,” Trump said. “Very, very important.”
While Trump met with NCAA stakeholders to discuss the issues plaguing college football, three former presidents were in attendance at the funeral of famed civil rights activist Reverend Jesse Jackson.
“Each day we wake up to some new assault on our democratic institutions,” Barack Obama said during his speech at the funeral in Chicago, Illinois.
“We see science and expertise denigrated, while ignorance and dishonesty and cruelty and corruption are reaping untold rewards. Every single day. We see that, and it’s hard to hope”.
The near-octogenarian president has been displaying increasingly concerning signs of ill health and exhaustion throughout his second term.
Earlier this week, Trump was seen appearing to fall asleep during another roundtable meeting discussing the energy needs of tech companies.
The public napping has been accompanied by unsightly bruising on his hands, which the White House has attributed to a daily aspirin regimen and vigorous handshaking.
When a bright red rash recently appeared on Trump’s neck, the president’s physician, Sean Barbabella, told the Daily Beast: “President Trump is using a very common cream on the right side of his neck, which is a preventative skin treatment, prescribed by the White House Doctor. The President is using this treatment for one week, and the redness is expected to last for a few weeks.”
The Daily Beast has reached out to the White House for comment.
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