During a recent Cabinet meeting, Trump was photographed with his eyes shut while Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth spoke at length about Trump himself.
That was last month.
On Thursday, it happened again, this time on live television, in the Oval Office, in front of pharmaceutical executives and a rolling camera.
The episode occurred during a live televised announcement of a drug pricing deal with pharmaceutical company Regeneron. Around the halfway point, as executives discussed diseases still without a cure, Trump’s eyes grew visibly heavy, his head lolled slightly and his face drooped as the cameras kept rolling.
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Journalist Aaron Rupar posted the footage on X, writing: “Trump is about to hit REM on camera during an Oval Office event. It’s just incredible.”
Trump is about to hit REM on camera during an Oval Office event. It’s just incredible. pic.twitter.com/h0BwcHLURJ
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 23, 2026
The pattern is well established at this point.
Days before the Cabinet meeting, Trump appeared to fall asleep at a public safety roundtable in Memphis, his head tilting down and to the side for at least 30 unbroken seconds.
At a Kentucky rally in March, he joked about it himself, recalling a briefing on the Iran operation: “And they gave me, like, 20 names, and I’m like, falling asleep.” The self-awareness did not appear to produce a solution.
CNN medical analyst Jonathan Reiner, who previously served as Dick Cheney’s cardiologist, offered a clinical interpretation after reviewing the footage.
“When a patient tells me that they can’t stay awake in meetings, we do formal sleep testing to look for sleep apnea,” Reiner wrote on X. “I’m sure the White House medical team has done this, but the president continues to struggle with daytime somnolence. This is a common problem, and there are things that can be done to improve these symptoms.”
When a patient tells me that they can’t stay awake in meetings, we do formal sleep testing to look for sleep apnea. I’m sure the White House medical team has done this, but the president continues to struggle with daytime somnolence. This is a common problem, and there are things… https://t.co/ksPQAkcdg2
— Jonathan Reiner (@JReinerMD) April 24, 2026
Speaking to CNN’s Jake Tapper, he added: “He’s fallen asleep in a crowded Oval Office and he’s also fallen asleep at Cabinet meetings with people talking directly to him. That’s what’s called increased daytime somnolence.”
The White House has maintained a consistent explanation.
Chief of Staff Susie Wiles told Vanity Fair: “He’s not asleep. He’s got his eyes closed and his head leaned back. And, you know, he’s fine.”
Trump has offered his own version. Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, he said he simply closes his eyes occasionally. “It’s very relaxing to me,” he said. “Sometimes they’ll take a picture of me blinking, blinking, and they’ll catch me with the blink.”
Outside the White House, the reaction was less charitable.
California Governor Gavin Newsom posted that Trump was “asleep at the wheel,” with his office adding in all caps: “DOZY DON IS BUSY DOZING.” Former Republican congressman Adam Kinzinger added: “He’s so tuckered out. Poor guy works 4 hour days what do you expect???!!!”
Featured image via Political Tribune Gallery
