WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump appeared to fight off sleep during a cabinet meeting at the White House on Tuesday, briefly closing his eyes and at moments seeming to nod off — an episode that came as he continued to denounce media scrutiny over signs of age and fatigue in office.
According to The New York Times, during the two-hour-and-18-minute meeting, the 79-year-old president occasionally struggled to keep his eyes open as cabinet members delivered updates and praise. Asked whether Mr. Trump had fallen asleep, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt insisted he was “listening attentively and running the entire meeting,” pointing to his spirited remarks during a Q&A session in which he launched a tirade against Somali immigrants.
Ms. Leavitt said the 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.”
Mr. Trump remains a dominant public presence and takes questions from the media more frequently than former President Joseph R. Biden Jr. But he also appeared to have had a late night: he posted dozens of times on social media on Monday, continuing until nearly midnight.
Early in the meeting, he complained about “unfair” scrutiny compared with Mr. Biden, who dropped out of last year’s race amid concerns in his own party over his age and mental acuity. “I’ll let you know when there’s something wrong,” Mr. Trump said. “But right now I think I’m sharper than I was 25 years ago. But who the hell knows?”
Despite claiming he got “all As” on his physical, Mr. Trump’s fatigue became noticeable as the meeting went on. About 50 minutes in, he appeared to fight to keep his eyes open while Agriculture Secretary Brooke L. Rollins spoke. More than 90 minutes into the session, he closed his eyes for several seconds during remarks by Education Secretary Linda McMahon. Roughly 20 minutes later, he leaned forward and again appeared to briefly doze as Secretary of State Marco Rubio addressed the room.
It was the second such episode in less than a month. On Nov. 6, during an Oval Office event, Mr. Trump appeared to close his eyes for several seconds. The White House has expressed frustration over coverage highlighting a shorter public schedule and signs of fatigue.
On Monday, the administration released a letter from Dr. Sean P. Barbabella, the president’s physician, describing “advanced imaging tests” that reportedly show Mr. Trump “remains in excellent overall health,” though medical experts said the type and purpose of the tests remain unclear.
Mr. Trump, the oldest president ever sworn into office, underwent M.R.I. scans in October as part of a semiannual exam and completed his annual physical in April.
