President Donald Trump closes his eyes as Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks throughout a Cupboard assembly on the White Home, Tuesday, in Washington. AP-Yonhap
He nonetheless mocks his predecessor as “Sleepy Joe” Biden. Nevertheless it was Donald Trump who gave the impression to be combating to remain awake at a cupboard assembly.
The 79-year-old, the oldest man to be elected U.S. president, repeatedly had his eyes closed as his prime crew took turns praising his management in entrance of the cameras.
The incident put the Republican billionaire’s well being underneath recent scrutiny, at the same time as he and his aides had been pushing again towards earlier hypothesis on the difficulty.
The White Home strongly rejected any suggestion that Trump was snoozing on Tuesday.
“President Trump was listening attentively and working all the three-hour marathon cupboard assembly,” Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt mentioned in a press release to AFP on Wednesday.
Leavitt highlighted Trump’s “superb” reply on the finish of the assembly when he raged towards Somali immigrants.
“This epic second put an exclamation level on President Trump’s ninth Cupboard assembly of his second time period — all of which have been totally open to the press for the entire world to see.”
‘Sharper than 25 years in the past’
Actually, firstly of Tuesday’s prolonged assembly, Trump had dismissed ideas that he was working out of steam.
“You all the time discover one thing new, like, ‘is he in good well being? Biden was nice, however is Trump in good well being?'” Trump mentioned to reporters, branding them “loopy”.
He repeated a well-known riff about how he “aced” a cognitive well being take a look at and mentioned: “I will let you realize when there’s one thing incorrect. There will be some day that is going to occur to all of us. However proper now I feel I am sharper than I used to be 25 years in the past.”
However minutes later Trump could possibly be seen closing his eyes for stretches of a number of seconds at a time as cupboard members listed the administration’s achievements on his first 12 months again in energy.
He even appeared to take action as Secretary of State Marco Rubio, seated proper subsequent to him, described Trump because the “solely chief on this planet” who might assist finish the Ukraine conflict.
All this got here lower than a month after Trump, who turns 80 in June, additionally appeared to shut his eyes for a time throughout an occasion within the Oval Workplace on decreasing drug costs.
The deal with Trump’s well being sharpened in late November after a New York Instances article mentioned he had sharply lowered his public occasions, home journey and dealing hours in comparison with his first time period.
MRI take a look at
Trump raged towards the “hit piece” whereas Leavitt held up print-outs throughout a briefing this week of earlier New York Instances tales that she mentioned had performed down considerations over Biden’s well being.
The anger within the White Home has been fueled by what they allege was a media cover-up of Democrat Biden’s well being whereas in workplace.
Trump likes to distinction his vigor with that of Biden, who dropped out of the 2024 election on the age of 81 after a disastrous debate efficiency raised considerations about his age and acuity.
However the well being of U.S. presidents is all the time a world concern, notably given the punishing calls for of the job, and now Trump’s is again within the highlight.
He confronted mockery on late night time TV over the cupboard assembly, with long-time critic Jimmy Kimmel working footage of Trump together with his eyes closed on his present on U.S. broadcaster ABC.
“Inform us once more how sleepy Joe is, will ya?” mentioned Kimmel.
Social media customers additionally queried whether or not Trump was drained after a flurry of greater than 160 late night time and early morning Reality Social posts between Monday and Tuesday, though staffers are identified to submit a few of his messages.
Issues haven’t been helped by the truth that Trump has lengthy confronted criticism for restricted transparency round his well being.
After questions on a second “annual” well being verify up in hospital in October that includes an MRI scan, his official physician mentioned this week that the “preventative” examination confirmed Trump was in “glorious” cardiovascular well being.
