"Trump is napping in the Oval Office again pic.twitter.com/OdUEFHmPtJ- Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 11, 2026 Trump is struggling to stay conscious on camera in the Oval Office again today pic.twitter.com/ADtxEWEnvM- Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 11, 2026 Trump is about to hit REM sleep on camera in the Oval pic.twitter.com/0zJp86Iuls- Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 11, 2026"
"Unfortunately for Trump, he can't just admit that he's a nearly 80-year-old man who gets drowsy sometimes because a) he's president of the United States and b) he won reelection, in part, by repeatedly attacking "Sleepy Joe" Biden for his decrepitude. Thus, Team Trump has to come up with some other explanation for why the president regularly closes his eyes for long periods of time in public."
"The president himself has insisted that he never nods off in public. Two years ago, he said that sometimes he just likes to "listen intensely" and rest his "beautiful blue eyes." Earlier this year, he told the Wall Street Journal that he doesn't fall asleep during meetings, "I'll just close. It's very relaxing to me.""
"As footage from Monday went viral, the White House's rapid response team tried something different, snapping, "He was blinking, you "
Videos show Donald Trump closing his eyes and appearing drowsy during a meeting on maternal health in the Oval Office. The footage went viral and led to scrutiny of his alertness in public. Trump has previously denied falling asleep, offering alternative explanations such as listening intensely and resting his eyes. He has also described closing his eyes as relaxing. When the new footage spread, the White House rapid response team attempted a different framing, suggesting the behavior was consistent with blinking rather than sleep. The situation is tied to political messaging that previously attacked “Sleepy Joe” Biden for similar issues.
Read at Intelligencer
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