White House Chief of Staff Denies That Donald Trump Is Sleeping When He Closes His Eyes During Meetings: ‘He’s Fine’ 

White House chief of staff Susie Wiles is rejecting the idea that President Donald Trump sometimes falls asleep during meetings.

In a wide-ranging interview series published by Vanity Fair on Tuesday, Dec. 16, Wiles said that when Trump is seen closing his eyes during meetings, it doesn’t mean he’s sleeping.

“He’s not asleep. He’s got his eyes closed and his head leaned back … and, you know, he’s fine,” Wiles said.

Her comments came about two weeks after Trump was shown with his eyes shut during a televised cabinet meeting.

During the Dec. 2 cabinet meeting, the president appeared to nod off at points during the hours-long session. Video from the meeting showed him narrowing his eyes at times and, at least once, fully closing them.

When the White House was asked about Trump’s demeanor in the meeting, press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended his conduct and said he was engaged throughout the session.

“President Trump was listening attentively and running the entire three-hour marathon Cabinet meeting,” Leavitt said.

She added that the administration used those meetings to spotlight “the exhaustive list of accomplishments” it says it has delivered.

Trump was also seen closing his eyes during an Oval Office announcement on Nov. 6, a moment that circulated widely online.

Later that month, during an Oval Office meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Nov. 18, a reporter asked Trump about how he manages his time. Trump responded by describing both himself and the crown prince as light sleepers.

“He does not sleep much, and I don’t sleep much, I think we have the same schedule. Thinking about our countries,” Trump said, adding, “If you sleep a lot and you’re president … no, he’s not a sleeper, I’m not a sleeper, what else?”

Trump then took aim at former President Joe Biden, accusing him of sleeping “all the time,” a line he has used repeatedly against his predecessor.

The debate over Trump’s alertness isn’t new. Before returning to the White House in January, he appeared to drift off during the first day of his criminal trial in April 2024. The New York Times’ Maggie Haberman reported from the courtroom that Trump “appears to be sleeping,” noting that his head “keeps dropping down” and that his “mouth goes slack.” She later wrote that she saw his “head drooping onto his chest.”

After the Vanity Fair package was published, Wiles criticized it in a post on X, calling it “a disingenuously framed hit piece on me and the finest President, White House staff, and Cabinet in history.”

Wiles said “significant context was disregarded” and that remarks from her and others were left out in a way she believes was designed to portray the White House as chaotic.

She went on to praise Trump’s leadership and said the administration’s early record reflects what she called his “unmatched” vision.

Leavitt also defended Wiles in a statement, saying she has helped Trump achieve what the administration views as an unusually productive first 11 months in office. Leavitt added that Trump has “no greater or more loyal advisor” than Wiles and said the administration is unified behind her.