In a scene that quickly went viral and reignited the debate about his health, the President of the United States, Donald Trump, seemed to fall asleep this Tuesday during a lengthy Cabinet meeting at the White House.
The images show the 79-year-old leader closing his eyes for long periods, leaning back in his chair, and giving the impression of openly struggling against sleep, all while his officials praised him effusively.
The most viral moment was captured while Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, was speaking.
The episode, which took place in front of the press cameras, has turned into a media boomerang for a leader who has ridiculed his predecessor, Joe Biden, for similar incidents for years.
Y although the White House firmly denies that Trump fell asleep, the scene has raised new questions about the physical condition of the longest-serving president in office.
An uncomfortable contradiction: from mockery to involuntary nap
The meeting began with a predictable attack from Trump against the press and against “Sleepy Joe”, his preferred nickname for Biden.
In a defiant tone, he proclaimed, “I’m sharper than I was 25 years ago.”
A few minutes later, however, the cameras captured the opposite: a visibly fatigued leader, with heavy eyelids and a lethargic posture.
As Brooke Rollins, the Secretary of Agriculture, presented her report, Trump leaned forward and back in his chair, struggling to keep his eyes open.
During Linda McMahon's speech, the Secretary of Education, the president closed his eyes for five seconds, leaned his head back, and gazed at the ceiling.
The scene was repeated during the intervention of Secretary of State Marco Rubio, when Trump once again closed his eyes in front of the cameras.
A particularly revealing scene occurred during the remarks of Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, when Trump kept his eyes closed for intervals of 10 to 15 seconds.
The official response: “I was listening carefully.”
The White House reacted quickly.
Karoline Leavitt, press secretary, issued a statement in which she affirmed that the president was “listening carefully and directing the entire” meeting.
As a test, it was highlighted that Trump actively intervened at the end of the meeting, launching a diatribe against Somali migrants and attacking the media once again.
Leavitt described the event as "the ninth cabinet meeting of President Trump's second term, all of them fully open to the press for everyone to see."
He emphasized that Trump "answers questions much more often than his predecessor" and that he remains an active and combative public figure.
Presidential fatigue: health issue or pace problem?
The truth is, this is not the first time Trump has appeared to doze off in public.
On November 6th, during an event in the Oval Office, he was seen with his eyes closed for several seconds. At that moment, the scene was also justified as a simple moment of "visual rest."
Trump is known for having unusual habits: he sleeps only four hours a night and starts his day before dawn, tuning into Fox News and actively posting on his social media platform Truth Social.
The night before the meeting, he shared 93 posts in less than an hour, some after 11:30 PM.
According to The New York Times, close advisers reportedly suggested softening his agenda and allowing him more rest, an idea that infuriated the president.
Trump considers any suggestion about his health as a political attack and, so far, has refused to modify his routine.
"Don't compare me to Biden," he has demanded.
And in an ironic tone, he commented at the meeting: "I'll let you know when something's wrong. Someday there will be. But right now, I think I'm smarter than I was 25 years ago. But who the hell knows?"
Transparency under Suspicion: Presidential Health in the Spotlight
Amid the controversy, the White House released a medical letter from Dr. Sean Barbabella stating that the president “continues to enjoy excellent overall health”, based on cardiovascular and abdominal studies.
However, several specialists consulted by the press have questioned the lack of details regarding what type of tests were conducted and why.
The opacity surrounding Trump's physical condition has been a constant since his first term.
In 2020, a letter from his then-doctor, Harold Bornstein, caused a stir when it claimed that Trump would be "the healthiest individual ever elected."
In this instance, the pattern repeats: vague data is published that raises more questions than answers.
The underlying issue is not whether a 79-year-old man occasionally nods off during a long meeting, but rather the frequency with which it happens and the context in which it occurs.
Trump has made personal attacks a political tool and has persistently mocked his rival's lapses in concentration. Now, those same images are haunting him.
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