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Instagram posts
Instagram posts
stated on July 18, 2022 in an Instagram post:

Video shows Joe Biden sleeping at the Arab Conference in Saudi Arabia.

False

Biden didn’t sleep at Saudi Arabia summit

If your time is short

  • Biden appears to be listening at the summit, not sleeping. 
 
See the sources for this fact-check

Since former President Donald Trump first called President Joe Biden “Sleepy Joe,” misinformation to support the derisive nickname has spread on social media. 

But we’ve debunked multiple claims that Biden was caught falling asleep when he should really have been awake, such as during a TV interview or when meeting with Israel’s prime minister.

A similar claim has emerged since Biden traveled to Saudi Arabia to speak to a summit of Arab leaders in Jeddah. 

“WATCH,” one July 18 Instagram post says. “Joe Biden falls asleep at the Arab Conference in Saudi Arabia.”

“It’s an actual embarrassment that this man is SLEEPING while trying to beg for oil from Saudi Arabia,” another post says. 

Both videos show clips of Biden sitting at the summit with his head bowed and his eyes lowered. 

These posts were flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.)

We found a video of the summit that Reuters streamed live on YouTube showing the moment the posts use to claim BIden was sleeping. But in context, you can see that he’s awake. 

RELATED VIDEO
 

Biden appears starting around the 20:12 mark, and although he does at points have his head bowed and his eyes lowered, he keeps shifting positions, moving his hands and raising his head and eyes. He appears to simply be listening, not sleeping. 

One of the posts also draws from footage of Biden delivering a speech at the summit. Unless he was doing something akin to sleepwalking with his eyes open, he was awake.

We rate these posts False. 

 

Biden didn’t sleep at Saudi Arabia summit

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
stated on January 7, 2026 a press briefing

stated on January 14, 2026 a statement

Social Media
stated on February 14, 2026 social media posts



stated on January 20, 2026 an op-ed


Donald Trump
stated on February 3, 2026 remarks in the Oval Office


Social Media
stated on February 8, 2026 social media posts





Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
stated on stated on November 17, 2025 in remarks at George Washington University:

Donald Trump
stated on February 2, 2026 an interview with Dan Bongino