Trump, 79, Mocked After Botching Longtime Pal Sylvester Stallone's Name Twice While Praising 'Rocky' Legend During Speech — as Prez Continues to Face 'Dementia' Rumors
President Trump could not remember the 'T' in Sylvester Stallone's last name.
Dec. 8 2025, Published 4:00 p.m. ET
There was nothing sly about the way President Trump butchered the last name of his longtime friend Sylvester Stallone as he presented the action star icon with a Kennedy Center honor, RadarOnline.com can report.
The president slurred his speech and said the name wrong multiple times, as concerns for his cognitive capabilities continue to rise.
Trump Fumbles Stallone's Name
Trump introduced the actor as Sylvester 'Sallone.'
Stallone and his fellow Kennedy Center honorees, KISS, Gloria Gaynor, Michael Crawford, and George Strait, were all celebrated over the weekend, with a gala event Sunday night and an Oval Office meet-and-greet with Trump on Saturday, where he presented each person with special medals of recognition.
However, when Trump introduced the beloved Rocky star, the controversial president seemed to forget his guest's name.
Trump introduced Stallone as a "friend of mine, a wonderful person, a really spectacular person, one of the true great movie stars there are," before reading out his name as "Sallone" – dropping the "T" entirely.
He did it again as he placed the medal around Stallone's neck.
Critics Go Off on Trump
Trump did it again as he presented a Kennedy Center honor to Stallone
While Stallone didn't react or respond to the blunder, plenty of critics on social media had their say.
"He honored him so well by mispronouncing his last name!" one person blasted on X. "'Sallone,' the t is now silent."
Another bashed: "He's such a good friend that he can't even pronounce his name correctly?" while a third noted, "Trump is so out of it that he can’t even pronounce Sylvester Stallone’s name."
And one person warned: "This minor gaffe underscores a broader, unsettling pattern of cognitive slips amid grave policy failures. The spectacle is painfully trivial yet revealing."
'Sleepy' Don
The actor was celebrated for his wide body of work.
The latest in the "pattern of cognitive slips" came just last week, when Trump seemed to fall asleep during his cabinet meeting. In photos and videos of the meeting between Trump and the heads of 15 executive departments, the president appeared to be dozing off as he slumped in his chair with his eyes closed.
Trump's previous night's Truth Social posting spree seemed to take a toll on him as he visibly struggled to stay engaged as department heads took turns speaking.
When Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick was speaking, Trump appeared to fully close his eyes. Then, when Secretary of State Marco Rubio addressed the cabinet members, Trump kept his eyes downcast as he shifted back and forth in his seat, barely reacting to Rubio – even when he complimented his leadership.
At one point during Rubio's monologue, Trump's eyes shot wide open, and he took a quick side glance before resuming his downward stare.
MRI Opened Eyes
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Trump appeared to be asleep at a recent meeting.
Trump's latest sleepy stunt comes after another heated exchange with a female reporter who pressed for more details on his recent MRI.
While insisting he was in tip-top shape, Trump let it slip he underwent an MRI during a medical exam at Walter Reed in early October. The White House described the visit as a "semiannual physical," but skeptics quickly noted the president had a routine physical just six months prior in April.
While speaking to reporters on Air Force One, CBS News' Weija Jiang asked Trump which part of the body the MRI was analyzing.
"I have no idea. It was just an MRI," Trump fired back at Jiang while pointing his finger in her direction. "It wasn't the brain because I took a cognitive test and aced it. I got a perfect mark, which you would be incapable of doing."
