During a cabinet meeting on 2/12, President Donald Trump appeared to repeatedly struggle with drowsiness, closing his eyes several times during the 2-hour, 17-minute session.
As Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke at the end of the meeting, praising Trump's "transformative" foreign policy, the President sat beside him, leaning back in his chair with his eyes tightly shut.
According to a CNN reporter, Trump then appeared to startle awake, sat upright, and looked at Rubio. A moment later, he closed his eyes again as Rubio made a joke about the college football season. While other cabinet members around the table laughed, the 79-year-old President remained still, his mouth barely moving, only his eyes fluttering.
Earlier in the meeting, Trump had squinted multiple times, seemingly trying to stay awake while Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer delivered their remarks. He also occasionally lowered his head towards papers on the table, as if his eyes were closed.
Trump closes his eyes as Secretary of State Rubio speaks during the 2/12 meeting. Video: X/Marco Foster
The Washington Post compiled that Trump struggled to stay awake on 9 separate occasions, totaling 6 minutes. This was the second reported instance in less than a month where Trump appeared to fight off drowsiness. The previous incident occurred during an Oval Office meeting on 6/11, where he spent nearly 20 minutes trying to remain alert after a long trip to Asia.
In response to US media inquiries about the 2/12 cabinet meeting, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt stated that President Trump "listened attentively and presided over the entire nearly three-hour meeting." Leavitt further cited Trump's "great final answer in the press conference," where the US President criticized Somali immigrants, calling it a "classic moment."
 |
Trump's eyes are tightly shut, seemingly dozing off during the cabinet meeting on 2/12. Photo: AFP
US media suggested that Trump's apparent fatigue during the cabinet meeting might stem from late-night social media activity. From 10 PM on 1/12 until midnight, the US President posted nearly 150 times and interacted on his Truth Social account. His posts included criticisms of Democrats, reposted right-wing conspiracy theories, and videos featuring himself and First Lady Melania Trump.
This volume of posts was notably higher than usual for Trump, who is renowned for his active social media presence. According to advisors who spoke to the Washington Post, President Trump typically sleeps only about 4 hours each night.
Duc Trung (According to CNN, Washington Post)
