White House Chief of Staff Vows Trump Is Alert During Meetings Despite Closing Eyes

Trump's Behavior During Meetings Sparks Debate

Recent incidents involving former President Donald Trump have raised questions about his behavior during important obligations. Reports suggest that he has been seen with his eyes closed and apparently nodding off on multiple occasions, including during a Cabinet meeting and at his 2024 criminal trial.

White House Denies Claims of Sleepiness

White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles has denied claims that President Trump is sleeping during significant meetings. In an interview series published by Vanity Fair on December 16, she stated, "He's not asleep. He's got his eyes closed and his head leaned back ... and, you know, he's fine."

Her comments come after Trump was observed with his eyes shut during a televised Cabinet meeting. During the Dec. 2 meeting, the president appeared to nod off several times throughout the lengthy session. Footage from the event showed Trump squinting his eyes at times, and at least once, fully closing them.

Defense of Trump's Performance

When questioned about Trump's demeanor during the meeting, press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the president's performance. She stated, "President Trump was listening attentively and running the entire three-hour marathon Cabinet meeting," adding, "In all of these historic meetings, the President and his incredible team highlight the exhaustive list of accomplishments they have delivered on behalf of the American people."

Leavitt also emphasized the achievements of the administration, saying, "Make America Great Again."

Trump’s Behavior in Other Settings

Trump was also seen closing his eyes during an Oval Office announcement on November 6, which went viral. Later that month, during an Oval Office meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on November 18, a reporter asked Trump how he manages his time.

“He does not sleep much, and I don’t sleep much, I think we have the same schedule. Thinking about our countries," Trump said of himself and the crown prince, adding, "If you sleep a lot and you're president … no, he's not a sleeper, I'm not a sleeper, what else?"

He then mocked former President Joe Biden for sleeping "all the time," one of his longstanding attacks on his predecessor.

Trial and Public Perception

Before returning to the White House in January, Trump appeared to fall asleep during the first day of his criminal trial in April 2024. The New York Times' Maggie Haberman reported live from the courtroom, noting that Trump "appears to be sleeping. His head keeps dropping down and his mouth goes slack." She later added that she saw Trump's "head drooping onto his chest."

Wiles criticized the Vanity Fair story as "a disingenuously framed hit piece on me and the finest President, White House staff, and Cabinet in history" in a post shared to X on Tuesday. She claimed that "significant context was disregarded and much of what I, and others, said about the team and the President was left out of the story."

She continued, "I assume, after reading it, that this was done to paint an overwhelmingly chaotic and negative narrative about the President and our team."

Continued Support for Leadership

Leavitt also defended Wiles in a statement, saying, “Chief of Staff Susie Wiles has helped President Trump achieve the most successful first 11 months in office of any President in American history." She added, "President Trump has no greater or more loyal advisor than Susie. The entire Administration is grateful for her steady leadership and united fully behind her."