Donald Trump 'Fell Asleep' in Cabinet Meeting Days After Boasting About Cognitive Test

Donald Trump has found himself at the centre of yet another media storm, with fresh accusations that the president struggled to stay awake during a high-profile cabinet meeting on Dec. 2. These new claims have done little to quell the swirling Donald Trump dementia rumours, particularly as the incident occurred mere days after he boastfully declared he had 'aced' a cognitive exam.

The scene inside the cabinet room painted a different picture from the one Trump often projects. While the 79-year-old president has spent weeks vigorously defending his mental acuity, footage from the Tuesday meeting suggests a different story.

As the heads of 15 executive departments gathered to discuss administration priorities, the president appeared visibly drained, slumping into his chair with his eyes closed for extended periods. The incident seemingly provided fresh ammunition for critics who keep arguing that the demands of the presidency may be taking an undeniable toll on his stamina.

Donald Trump Struggles to Stay Engaged Following Late-Night Social Media Spree

The root of the President's fatigue may well lie in his digital habits. Reports indicate that Donald Trump was up until the early hours of the morning, indulging in a frenetic posting spree on his Truth Social platform.

Between 7 p.m. and midnight on Dec. 1 alone, Trump fired off approximately 160 posts, a manic flurry of activity that resumed before 6 a.m. the following Tuesday. This lack of rest appeared to catch up with him as the official cabinet proceedings got underway.

Witnesses and video evidence from the meeting highlight specific moments where the President's focus seemed to completely evaporate. As Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick took the floor to address the room, Trump appeared to drift off, his eyes fully closing as if succumbing to exhaustion.

The situation did not improve when Secretary of State Marco Rubio began his address. Despite Rubio offering complimentary remarks about Trump's leadership, the president remained hunched over, his gaze fixed downwards, shifting uncomfortably in his seat with barely a reaction to his top diplomat.

At one startling moment during Rubio's monologue, Trump's eyes suddenly shot wide open — a reaction that observers noted looked more like a reflex than genuine engagement — before he took a quick, disoriented side glance and returned to his downward stare. In other moments, he was seen leaning forward and squinting intensely, seemingly willing himself to focus on the discussion at hand.

Fresh Concerns Over 'Sundowning' and Donald Trump Dementia Rumours

Social media was quick to seize upon the footage, with many users doubling down on the long-standing allegations regarding the president's cognitive health. The term 'sundowning' began trending alongside the clips, a reference to a symptom often associated with dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

The Mayo Clinic describes sundowning as 'a state of confusion that occurs in the late afternoon and lasts into the night', noting that it often includes behaviours such as 'confusion, anxiety, aggression or ignoring directions'.

Critics on platforms like X were scathing in their assessment. 'This is elder-abuse territory. The Trump family should be held accountable for letting this happen', wrote one user, sharing a clip of the President's heavy-lidded struggle. Another user drew a direct line between his online behaviour and his physical state: 'Well, he can't help it. He was up all night manically tweeting'.

This latest sleepy stunt comes hot on the heels of another controversy involving Trump's health records. During a heated exchange aboard Air Force One, the president lashed out at CBS News reporter Weijia Jiang, who pressed him for details regarding a secretive MRI he underwent at Walter Reed in early October.

While the White House attempted to brush the visit off as a 'semiannual physical', skeptics noted the timing was irregular. When Jiang asked which part of the body was analysed, the president became defensive.

'I have no idea. It was just an MRI', Trump fired back, pointing a finger in her direction. 'It wasn't the brain because I took a cognitive test and aced it. I got a perfect mark, which you would be incapable of doing'.

Despite his insistence on being in 'perfect' shape, incidents like the December 2 cabinet meeting continue to fuel the narrative that Donald Trump may be facing challenges he can no longer hide from the public eye.