Donald Trump’s behavior during a recent Cabinet meeting has reignited discussion about the US President’s stamina and alertness. The 79-year-old appeared to doze off multiple times as officials delivered updates, prompting questions about his physical state and daily routine.
Donald Trump appears to fight sleep during meeting
President Donald Trump appeared to nod off several times during a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday. Officials were giving updates on their work as the president closed his eyes. A Washington Post analysis of video feeds showed Trump’s eyes shut or struggling to stay open during nine separate moments. These instances added up to nearly six minutes. The whole meeting lasted two hours and 17 minutes. It was the second time in under a month that he showed signs of drowsiness in public.
A similar moment occurred on November 6 in the Oval Office. During that event, Trump appeared to battle sleep for nearly 20 minutes. The recent meeting followed a night of intense online activity. Between 10 p.m. and midnight, Trump posted or reposted almost 150 times on Truth Social. By 5:30 a.m. Tuesday, he was back online.
Despite this, Trump stated early in the meeting, “Right now, I think I’m sharper than I was 25 years ago.” He also repeated a frequent insult toward former President Joe Biden, referring to him as “Sleepy Joe.”
As Secretary of State Marco Rubio described “the most transformational year in American foreign policy since the end of the Second World War — at least,” Trump leaned forward and closed his eyes. His eyes stayed shut even as Rubio addressed topics Trump has previously expressed a strong interest in.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt did not address whether the president had dozed off but said he was “listening attentively and running the entire” meeting. She also highlighted his “amazing final answer in the press conference,” where Trump criticized Somali migrants, calling it an “epic moment.”
Later that day, Trump appeared alert during a 40-minute announcement of new “Trump accounts.” Senator Ted Cruz commented, “I don’t think [Trump] sleeps at all.”
Originally reported by Vritti Johar for Mandatory.
