‘Bonkers’: Eyebrows raised as Trump rambles about Venezuela in Miss Universe tangent

President Donald Trump‘s appearance during an Oval Office press conference Friday was raising eyebrows among critics — and prompting more questions about his cognitive health.

Trump was taking questions from White House reporters when he started to ramble about Venezuela and pageants.

“I’ve known them for a long time, I’ve known that country and you know, I own the Miss Universe pageant,” Trump said. “Miss Venezuela always did very well in the Miss Universe pageant.”

Journalist Aaron Rupar captured the moment in a post on X, saying “a drowsy Trump mumbles his way through bonkers Oval Office event.”

Other social media users and political commentators reacted.

“This is the geopolitical equivalent of saying you know Italy because you ate at Olive Garden,” writer Alex Cole posted on X.

“Totally normal thing to say, no evidence of cognitive issues here at all,” Tom Nichols, staff writer at The Atlantic, wrote on X.

“Like I said. S— has hit the fan,” X user John Jackson, who self-identifies as a Ukrainian Armed Forces veteran, former GOP and past trial lawyer, wrote.

“You couldn’t make s— like this up in the Netflix writers’ room. Just insane almost unbelievable dialogue from the so-called leader of the free world,” Zeteo’s Mehdi Hasan wrote on X.

“Polls show there are people who approve of this presidential job performance,” Michael McDonald, professor of political science at the University of Florida, wrote on Bluesky.

Polls show there are people who approve of this presidential job performance [image or embed] — Michael McDonald (@electproject.bsky.social) July 24, 2026 at 12:45 PM