President Trump is loudly insisting that he “doesn’t sleep much.” He says he’s simply not a sleeper. This claim is getting a lot of attention because it clashes with his own past attacks on Joe Biden, who he mocked for “sleeping all the time.” Now he’s in a situation where the same accusation is being thrown at him, and Biden has nothing to do with it.
Trump made these comments during a meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. A reporter asked him about how he manages his time. Trump immediately tied his schedule to the Crown Prince’s. He said they both barely sleep and even suggested that a president who sleeps a lot is doing something wrong. He tried to paint his lack of sleep as proof of strength and commitment.
He also said that when you truly care about your job and your country, your mind is always working. He claimed he does not want to sleep and that he can call the Crown Prince at almost any hour, no matter how strange the time.
But while Trump says he’s always awake and alert, the videos online tell a different story. He has been caught on camera several times looking like he is drifting off during official events. In May, during a visit to Saudi Arabia, he was filmed with his eyes closed during a ceremony. Then on November sixth, he again appeared to have his eyes closed during an announcement about lowering the cost of weight loss drugs.
The White House strongly denies that he fell asleep. They say he was fully awake during the drug price announcement and that he spoke throughout the event and answered many questions. They also emphasized how important the policy change was for Americans dealing with diabetes, heart disease and obesity.
When reporters pushed further, the White House accused the press of trying to distract the public with what they called a “garbage narrative.” They argued that the media should focus on the major policy announcement rather than Trump’s eyelids.