Kristofer Ahlström: The Truly Shocking Thing About Trump's Public Sleep

Donald Trump's public appearances have become punctuated by what observers deem "naps," with one count reaching 26 suspected instances during his current term. The latest occurred during a press conference on vaccine hesitancy, where the U.S. president appeared to doze off.

This recurring event has drawn criticism from commentators like Kristofer Ahlström of Dagens Nyheter. Ahlström notes the peculiar public and official response: a collective decision to ignore the president's apparent fatigue, even as he spoke about serious matters. This, he argues, is a telling image of his presidency, where the state apparatus continues to function as if oblivious.

Ahlström draws a parallel to Shirley Jackson's "The Haunting of Hill House," where characters seek refuge from a tiring reality in dreams. However, he posits that Trump achieves the opposite: he makes the world adjust to him while he sleeps. The author suggests that the ability to fall asleep during the exercise of power is a stark and potent image of authority.

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It is difficult to imagine a purer image of power than a man who can fall asleep in the middle of exercising it.