Sometimes, when you feel a nap coming on, you just have to take a snooze break from work — even if work for the day happens to be on the White House lawn. That’s what happened for one crane truck operator, who appears to be asleep in his truck while one of his coworkers meets Donald Trump. In a TikTok that went viral and was shared on the app by multiple people and news outlets, the crane truck worker seems to be fast asleep in his truck, though he is aware that the president of the United States is just a few feet from him.
The crane truck operator and his coworkers were at the White House on June 18, 2025, to install 88-foot flagpoles, according to USA Today. The outlet reported that two brand new larger-than-life flagpoles were installed on the north and south lawns, respectively. Prior to that, Trump posted about the flagpoles and their significance on the social media platform Truth Social.
“It is a GIFT from me of something which was always missing from this magnificent place,” Trump wrote in a post on June 17. “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!”
@news.com.au Relaxed. Unbothered. Flourishing. 😴 Trump took photos with workers erecting new flagpoles on the White House grounds, although one crane operator seemed pretty unfazed to be in the presence of the world leader #donaldtrump #craneoperator #cranelife #whitehorse ♬ Clair de lune/Debussy – もつ
The crane truck operator was at the White House to install a flagpole.
Besides some social media users wondering why the flagpoles were even necessary, others were quick to poke fun at Trump and the fact that the crane truck operator seemingly could not care less about potentially meeting the sitting president. One comment under a shared TikTok of the clip said, “Well he works harder than Trump, so let him rest, poor man.”
Another person commented, “Trump is so lucky to be caught on camera with this legend.” That is, the crane truck operator is the clear legend that they see in the video footage from the White House lawn.
At the start of the video, the operator seems to be awake and he even glances toward where Trump is standing with another worker. Then, his head rolls back and he seems to fall asleep for a quick nap behind his sunglasses.
“He didn’t care about who he was, he just wanted to get the job done and go home,” someone wrote under the video on TikTok.
According to another commenter, the crane truck operator’s apparent nap is proof that “America is tired of America.”
Before Trump had the two flagpoles installed, the White House boasted a flagpole on the top of its roof. According to Trump on Truth Social, however, the property needed a more obvious way to raise the US flag. The dual 88-foot flagpoles did just that.
Unfortunately for Trump, there are some concerns about the flagpoles and their monumental heights. Former White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney spoke with The Hill to voice concerns about the logistics of landing the White House helicopter on the property in the future.
“I see a problem for where they’re supposed to land the helicopter,” he said. “Because this is right on the south lawn, and I’m not really sure.”
