President Trump Appears to Struggle Staying Awake During Extended Cabinet Meeting

Donald Trump during a cabinet meeting

US President Donald Trump appeared to have difficulty staying awake during a prolonged White House Cabinet meeting on Tuesday. At the beginning of the session, Trump defended his cognitive abilities, stating he was "sharper than I was 25 years ago" while dismissing a New York Times article that suggested the 79-year-old president had experienced a decline in energy during his second term.

"Trump is sharp, but they're not sharp," he declared, criticizing reporters for what he considered unfair coverage of his health condition. "You people are crazy," he further remarked.

However, throughout the subsequent two hours, Trump visibly struggled to maintain alertness. Video recordings captured him periodically closing his eyes and seemingly drifting off while cabinet officials delivered their reports.

The president's fatigue became evident approximately 15 minutes into the meeting.

As Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick praised Trump's trade policies, the president's attention appeared to waver. When Housing Secretary Scott Turner and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins spoke, Trump's blinking noticeably slowed. This apparent struggle continued during presentations from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Labour Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin.

By the time Education Secretary Linda McMahon and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr. addressed the gathering, Trump seemed to remain motionless with closed eyes for periods of 10 to 15 seconds, occasionally moving his eyes or nodding slightly.

This behavior persisted during Secretary of State Marco Rubio's remarks commending Trump's efforts to end conflicts, with the president seated directly beside Rubio as cameras focused on them. When Rubio made a humorous comment, Trump's reaction was minimal if present at all.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt later defended the president, asserting that he was "listening attentively and running the entire meeting."

She referenced his responses during a question-and-answer segment that followed, including a strongly worded criticism of Somali immigrants, as evidence of his engagement.

"This epic moment put an exclamation point on President Trump's ninth cabinet meeting of his second term, all of which have been entirely open to the press for the whole world to see," she stated.

In recent months, Trump's health has again become a matter of public interest. In July, the White House revealed he had been diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency (CVI), a relatively common, non-life-threatening vascular condition that can cause swelling and discomfort in the legs when veins fail to efficiently return blood to the heart.

Subsequently, in October, Trump underwent a preventive medical evaluation. According to his physician, the results were "perfectly normal," showing no indications of arterial disease or organ dysfunction. The White House maintained that he remains in "excellent overall health."