Donald Trump was filmed swaying during a Memorial Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia on 25 May, after the 79-year-old president laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and stood alongside JD Vance and Pete Hegseth during Taps.

The clip, widely shared on social media, prompted renewed questions about his balance and shifted attention away from his earlier morning attack on Democrats.

Footage shared widely online shows Trump standing alongside Vice President JD Vance and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth as a lone bugler plays 'Taps'.

While military personnel around them hold a rigid salute, the president appears to sway, shifting his weight and rocking slightly back and forth.

Commentators quickly seized on the clip. One viewer wrote: 'Jesus! Trump can barely hold himself upright! That is terrifying.' Another said Trump was 'wobbling like a Weeble', a children's toy designed to right itself when pushed, while a third noted: 'Someone's having a real hard time staying still and upright.'

Local weather reports put the wind in Washington DC at around 5 to 10 mph on Monday. The clip does show Trump's coat and hair moving in the breeze, but critics argued the degree of movement in his stance suggested more than just wind.

As of this writing, the White House has not issued any formal explanation for the apparent instability. Nothing in the available reporting indicates that Trump tripped, slipped or suffered any acute episode, and there is no confirmation of any incident beyond what is visible in the footage itself.

The focus on Trump's balance threatens to eclipse the substance of his Memorial Day appearance. At Arlington's Memorial Amphitheatre, he praised Gold Star families, recounted historic US battles and paid tribute to the 13 American troops killed during Operation Epic Fury in the war with Iran.

'This Memorial Day we salute them and thank them for all that we have and all that they gave,' Trump said. 'They gave everything.'

He was joined on the platform by Vance, Hegseth and Joint Chiefs chairman General Dan Caine, who told the families of the fallen: 'We remember and honour those who made the ultimate sacrifice during Operation Epic Fury. To the Gold Star families here today, we know that Memorial Day is every single day.'