In recent weeks, some doctors and health experts have started raising questions after videos showed Donald Trump appearing to nod off or close his eyes during public events. The moments sparked online chatter, with people wondering whether the president was tired, unwell, or struggling to stay focused during long meetings.
Trump has now addressed the issue himself and offered a blunt explanation for what people have been seeing on camera, especially during extended Cabinet meetings. In a long profile about his health published by New York Magazine on Monday, Trump said there was nothing mysterious going on.
According to him, the meetings are simply exhausting and dull. He explained that he often has to sit through hours of officials speaking one after another, sometimes as many as 28 people in a single session. He said one recent meeting lasted more than three and a half hours, forcing him to sit back and listen the entire time.
Trump admitted that during these meetings, he sometimes closes his eyes but insisted he is still fully aware of what is happening. He said he makes small hand movements to signal that he is paying attention and claimed he hears every word being said. Still, he made it clear he finds the process frustrating and said he can’t wait for the meetings to end.
In the same profile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio offered a more charitable view of Trump’s behavior. Rather than seeing it as boredom or fatigue, Rubio suggested that closing his eyes could actually be part of how Trump concentrates. He described it as a kind of listening technique, implying that the president may be shutting out distractions to focus more closely on what others are saying.
