Editorials & Other Articles

That was his morning. Attacks, then a fake tribute, then more complaining. The men and women who died for this country got one sentence squeezed between insults, like he suddenly remembered he was supposed to mention them.

At least he is not completely hiding how he really feels. It is just heartbreaking to watch a president treat this day with such little respect. Because nobody made him spend Memorial Day morning attacking people online. Nobody made him turn even this day into another performance about himself. Those were his instincts. Those were his priorities. And it is just another reminder of how far our country continues to fall.

And it should tell us something else, too, about where his energy actually goes. He was awake before dawn, sharp enough to craft insults, to track which senators had wronged him, to brag. But by the time he reached the part of the day that was supposed to be about someone other than himself, there was nothing left in him.

During the remarks portion of today’s event, while Secretary Hegseth was speaking, the President fell asleep. Or as his handlers like to spin it, he took a long blink. What we saw was him sitting with his eyes closed, motionless, for an extended stretch, caught on the livestream for everyone to see. We have heard for a long time now that he sleeps only a few hours a night and is up posting at all hours. He has all the energy in the world for grievance at 6 a.m. and none of it for the fallen at noon. Awake for the cruelty. Asleep for the cost. That is not a scheduling problem. That is a window into what he values and what he does not.