President Donald Trump appeared to doze off during a December 2, 2025, Cabinet meeting, roughly 15 minutes after declaring himself “sharper than I was 25 years ago” and dismissing media reports about his stamina — the latest in a pattern of incidents that has prompted a CNN medical analyst to raise pointed questions about the 79-year-old commander-in-chief’s cognitive health and whether the White House is being fully transparent about his condition.
A Pattern That Keeps Repeating
The incidents span public appearances from Cabinet sessions to formal Oval Office announcements. On November 6, 2025, during an Oval Office event announcing cuts to prices for weight-loss drugs, images circulated widely on social media showing Trump with his eyes apparently closed, at other moments visibly struggling to keep them open, and rubbing his eyes at various points. The press office for California Gov. Gavin Newsom quickly posted images from the event with the caption: “DOZY DON IS BACK.”
White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers pushed back sharply, stating that Trump spoke throughout the event and fielded numerous press questions. Rogers argued that the episode received a “garbage narrative” from “the failing, liberal media.”
At the December 2, 2025, Cabinet meeting just after noon ET, Trump opened the session by invoking his “Sleepy Joe” nickname for former President Joe Biden and declaring his sharpness — a direct response to a New York Times report that the 79-year-old appeared to have slowed during his second term. Over the following hour and a half, however, CNN reported Trump appeared to fight drowsiness repeatedly, his blinks slowing even as Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick praised the trade agenda.
During a National Guard briefing in March 2026, observers reported Trump closing his eyes for 10 or 15 seconds at a stretch.
A Doctor’s Warning About Daytime Somnolence
The cumulative record drew attention in May 2026, when CNN medical analyst Dr. Jonathan Reiner, a cardiology professor at George Washington University’s School of Medicine and a longtime physician to former Vice President Dick Cheney, appeared on air with CNN host Kate Bolduan to discuss Trump’s fitness ahead of the president’s visit to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center — his second check-up since October.
According to Reiner, the commander-in-chief experiences significant drowsiness during daytime hours, frequently nodding off even during meetings with staff present in both the Oval Office and the cabinet room. He went on to warn that chronic insomnia — which he suggested may be a contributing factor — carries serious risks for older patients, including an elevated chance of dementia and a measurable decline in cognitive function.
Reiner also flagged what he called other visible health concerns: recurring bruising on Trump’s hands and swelling in both his ankles and legs. The White House has previously attributed the bruising to vigorous handshaking and the swelling to chronic venous insufficiency — explanations Reiner indicated strain credibility. He called on the White House to explain what steps, if any, had been taken to evaluate and address the president’s increased daytime sleepiness.
The segment drew an immediate response from the White House rapid response account on social media, which attempted to turn the criticism back on Bolduan and her guest by claiming their own eyes appeared closed during the broadcast. White House spokesman Davis Ingle called Reiner “a Democrat hack doctor” and insisted Trump is “the sharpest, most accessible, and energetic president in American history.”
The Oldest President — and the Comparisons He Invited
Trump, who is the oldest man ever inaugurated to the presidency, spent much of his first term and his 2024 campaign attacking former President Joe Biden — who had held the record as the oldest sitting president — over questions about age and mental acuity. That history makes the current scrutiny particularly charged. Trump himself sought to preempt comparisons at the December 2025 Cabinet meeting, telling reporters, “You people are crazy,” and dismissing the health coverage as politically motivated.
Supporters of the president point to a genuine counterargument. Trump regularly appears before cameras for extended stretches, takes unscripted questions from journalists, delivered an economic speech in Miami that ran more than an hour, and completed a three-nation swing through Asia. Aides describe a president who contacts staff at all hours of the day and night. Context also matters: even former President Barack Obama was occasionally observed rubbing fatigued eyes during lengthy international summits.
Questions the White House Has Not Answered
What sets the current situation apart, according to those raising concerns, is the documented pattern of episodes across multiple settings regardless of the stakes of the event. Reiner’s public call for the White House to disclose what medical evaluation, if any, has addressed the issue remains unanswered. Questions about whether Trump has undergone an MRI as part of a physical, and what conclusions his physicians have drawn, have not been addressed in official readouts. The White House has not provided a detailed medical response to the pattern of incidents or to the specific questions raised by Reiner and others.