Sometimes you just need a nap, even if you’re at work, and even if that work is on the White House lawn. A crane truck operator was spotted catching a snooze in his truck during a visit from Donald Trump.
The workers were at the White House on June 18, 2025, to install two massive 88-foot flagpoles on the north and south lawns. That’s when a TikTok clip went viral showing the operator looking toward Trump, then tipping his head back like he was asleep.
Trump was there talking with another worker, standing just feet away from the truck. The guy inside barely reacted, which just made the internet love him even more.
Trump had posted about the flagpoles the day before on Truth Social. He said: “It is a GIFT from me of something which was always missing from this magnificent place. They are tall, tapered, rust proof, rope inside the pole, and of the highest quality. Hopefully, they will proudly stand at both sides of the White House for many years to come!”
Meanwhile, people on social media had more to say about the sleepy worker than the actual flagpoles. Some joked that he was the real legend, while others said stuff like let him rest, he works harder than Trump.
At the start of the clip, the operator did look awake for a second, even glancing toward the president. But then his head rolled back and he went still behind his sunglasses.
Someone commented that the guy didn’t care who he was, he just wanted to do his job and go home. Another person said the whole nap thing pretty much summed up how tired Americans are in general.
Before these new poles, the White House had one on the roof. But Trump said it needed something bigger and more noticeable.
There’s already talk about whether the new flagpoles might mess up future helicopter landings. A former White House chief of staff said: “I see a problem for where they’re supposed to land the helicopter. Because this is right on the south lawn, and I’m not really sure.”