Rep. Jerry Nadler was spotted with his eyes closed during Attorney General Pam Bondi's opening statement at a House Judiciary Committee hearing on February 11 — her first appearance before the panel since taking the helm of the Department of Justice.
The 78-year-old, 17-term New York Democrat drew immediate mockery online after a staffer apparently nudged him back to attention.
Nadler's office did not respond to a request for comment.
As reported by Fox News, Nadler was seen with his eyes shut not only during Bondi's remarks but also during opening statements from Rep. Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the committee. By the time it was Nadler's turn to question the Attorney General, he was alert — using his time to spar with Bondi over DOJ compliance with a law requiring the release of all unclassified material related to Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking cases.
So the congressman could muster the energy to grandstand on the Epstein files but couldn't keep his eyes open while the nation's chief law enforcement officer addressed the committee. Priorities.
The House Judiciary Committee's Republican-led account on X wasted no time:
"Don't worry, @RepNadler. We are tired of listening to @RepRaskin complain about President Trump too!"
Gun rights activist Andrew Pollack offered a sharper take:
"Sleeping during the House Judiciary Committee speaks volumes about how seriously he actually takes the Epstein victims."
Another social media user put it bluntly, noting Nadler:
"Falls asleep during @AGPamBondi opening statement at today's DOJ hearing. Gets awaken by staffer #TermLimits"
Nadler announced in September that he would retire from Congress after more than three decades in office. The timing of that decision looks increasingly merciful — for him and for the institution.
There's a broader problem here that goes beyond one congressman's drowsy afternoon. The gerontocracy issue in Congress has been a bipartisan embarrassment for years, but Democrats have been especially resistant to acknowledging it within their own ranks. The party that spent years insisting President Biden was sharp as a tack now has one of its senior Judiciary Committee members nodding off during a hearing of genuine national significance.
This wasn't a routine procedural markup on postal naming conventions. This was the Attorney General of the United States testifying before Congress for the first time. Bondi was there to answer for DOJ operations, Epstein file releases, and the department's direction under the current administration. The hearing, by all accounts, devolved into shouting at points — Democrats reportedly accused Bondi of theatrics while generating plenty of their own. And through part of it, Nadler sat with his eyes closed.
Pollack's critique lands harder than the typical social media dunk because of the subject matter. Nadler positioned himself during his questioning as a defender of transparency on the Epstein files — pressing Bondi on whether the DOJ was complying with the law mandating the release of unclassified material related to Epstein's sex trafficking operation.
Fair enough. That's a legitimate line of questioning, and one that has bipartisan interest — a separate effort reportedly has Reps. Massie and Khanna are planning to visit the DOJ to review unredacted Epstein files.
But the optics of dozing through the hearing and then waking up to play crusader undercut the seriousness of the cause. If the Epstein files matter — and they do — then the hearing at which they're being discussed deserves your full consciousness. You don't get to sleep through the opening act and then claim moral urgency during your five minutes of questioning.
Nadler is 78 years old, has held his seat for 17 terms, and is visibly struggling to stay engaged during one of the more consequential hearings of the congressional session. He announced his retirement, which means even he recognizes the clock has run out. But he's still occupying the seat, still drawing the salary, and still apparently napping on the job.
Conservatives have long argued that Congress suffers from incumbents who treat their seats as lifetime appointments. Moments like this don't require any rhetorical embellishment. A 78-year-old congressman with his eyes closed while the Attorney General testifies is the argument, fully formed.
Nadler will retire. The seat will turn over. But the system that let a man serve 17 terms and doze through an AG hearing in his final stretch — that system stays awake and well.
