Trump appeared to nod during the cabinet meeting.
During the three-hour cabinet meeting, Donald Trump’s eyes were very heavy. Press seconds. “I’m listening carefully,” said Caroline Leavitt.
A new photo shows President Donald Trump appearing to fall asleep during a Cabinet meeting.
The footage was filmed at the White House on Tuesday, December 2, during the ninth Cabinet meeting, and was released after President Trump slammed the New York Times last week over its reporting on his energy levels.
It also comes after a Washington Post analysis of multiple video feeds found that Trump spent about 20 minutes struggling to keep his eyes open during a recent Oval Office press conference.
Photos taken by Reuters and Getty showed Trump repeatedly struggling to keep his eyes open, at times closing them completely during the meeting.
Other major news outlets also reported that President Trump was seen appearing to nod his head during a meeting with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and others.
White House press secretary Caroline Levitt issued a statement to USA TODAY on Wednesday, Dec. 3, saying that President Trump “listened carefully and facilitated the entire three-hour marathon Cabinet meeting.”
President Trump’s latest move comes in the wake of his frequent “Sleepy Joe” comments in public about former President Joe Biden, who was 82 years old when he left office.
Trump will turn 80 in June.
Photo shows President Trump with his eyes closed during a Cabinet meeting.
What was discussed at President Trump’s cabinet meeting?
At Tuesday’s meeting, President Trump blamed Democrats for complaining about inflation, claiming prices for products such as gasoline and groceries have fallen.
President Trump said on December 2nd, “The word affordability is a fraud by Democrats.”
In recent months, President Trump has insisted his administration has brought down prices to some extent and curbed inflation, USA TODAY previously reported.
However, the prices of some foods are rising, according to information from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
According to the BLS, overall food prices rose last year, and household food costs also rose.
This story has been updated to add new information and video.
Contributed by: Reuters
Natalie Neisa Alland is a senior reporter at USA TODAY. Contact her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her at X @nataliealund
