A camera focused on President Donald Trump during a lengthy Cabinet meeting on Tuesday recorded several moments where he appeared to struggle to stay fully alert.
Over the course of the more than 90-minute session, as Cabinet secretaries delivered their presentations, Trump leaned back in his chair, his eyelids drooping and, at times, closing completely. The video shows him remaining still for extended stretches while others speak.
Why It Matters
The footage emerged as Trump continues to push back against mounting questions about his stamina, following a recent New York Times report that examined the 79-year-old president’s daily schedule and overall energy. Trump has rejected that reporting, saying last month that he had a “perfect physical exam and a comprehensive cognitive test (that was aced).” His health has been a recurring focus since he returned to the White House in January.
What To Know
Short clips showing Trump’s eyes appearing to droop throughout the meeting circulated widely on social media Tuesday afternoon. At the outset of the gathering, Trump tried to preempt concerns by dismissing speculation about his health and insisting he remained mentally sharp.
“Trump is sharp,” he said at the start, before inviting each Cabinet member to deliver extended remarks.
The Democratic X account FactPost highlighted the footage, writing that “Trump struggles to keep his eyes open as Howard Lutnick talks during his Cabinet meeting.”
Journalist Aaron Rupar commented on a clip of Trump briefly closing his eyes while Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke, calling the visuals “insane optics” for the White House.
The Associated Press reported that Trump “occasionally” closed his eyes during the meeting.
A New York Times report in November previously raised concerns about Trump’s stamina, noting another event in which he shut his eyes during a White House appearance and asserting that his schedule is about 39 percent lighter than during the same period in his first term in 2017. Trump denounced that story as a “hit piece.”
Reactions
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Newsweek: “President Trump was listening attentively and running the entire three-hour marathon Cabinet meeting. Just go back and watch his amazing final answer in the press conference, where he ripped into the America-Last Democrats for allowing radical Somali migrants to invade our country and steal from American taxpayers. 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. In all of these historic meetings, the President and his incredible team highlight the exhaustive list of accomplishments they have delivered on behalf of the American people to Make America Great Again.”
On Truth Social, Trump responded to the Times article by writing: “There will be a day when I run low on Energy, it happens to everyone, but with a PERFECT PHYSICAL EXAM AND A COMPREHENSIVE COGNITIVE TEST (‘That was aced’) JUST RECENTLY TAKEN, it certainly is not now! GOD BLESS AMERICA & MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!”
Progressive commentator Krystal Ball wrote Tuesday on X: “Trump can’t even stay awake to hear his cabinet members glaze him any more. Very sad.”
Lincoln Project founder George Conway posted on X: “Okay for once I totally and completely empathize with President Trump.”
What Happens Next
Trump continues to insist he is in good health and maintains the demands of the presidency without issue. However, Democrats and other critics are likely to keep pressing for greater transparency around his medical status and daily workload as questions about his stamina persist.
