Trump Dozed Off in Meeting after Saying 'Better' Than 25 Years Ago

President Donald Trump appeared to nearly fall asleep multiple times during his Tuesday, Dec. 2, Cabinet meeting.

The president, 79, sometimes squinted his eyes, and at least one time, fully closed them. Meanwhile, members of his Cabinet took turns delivering accounts of their success and expressing admiration for their boss.

In one notable moment as Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick spoke, Trump appeared to completely close his eyes for a number of seconds before leaning forward to engage with Lutnick's remarks.

Trump's exhausted appearance came the day after he embarked on a late-night posting spree on Truth Social, where he shared more than 160 posts between 7 p.m. and midnight on Monday, Dec. 1. The president was back on the platform by 5:48 a.m. on Tuesday morning.

When reached for comment by PEOPLE about his demeanor, the White House provided a statement from press secretary Karoline Leavitt.

“President Trump was listening attentively and running the entire three-hour marathon Cabinet meeting," said Leavitt, 28, before repeating a new White House talking point that Somali immigrants do not belong in Minnesota.

"Just go back and watch his amazing final answer in the press conference, where he ripped into the America-Last Democrats for allowing radical Somali migrants to invade our country and steal from American taxpayers," she added. "This epic moment put an exclamation point on President Trump’s ninth Cabinet meeting of his second term—all of which have been entirely open to the press for the whole world to see."

"In all of these historic meetings," she concluded, "the President and his incredible team highlight the exhaustive list of accomplishments they have delivered on behalf of the American people to Make America Great Again.”

Last year, the president denied reports that he had fallen asleep in court during his criminal trial in New York. After multiple reports described Trump drifting to sleep in a Manhattan court room — with The New York Times writing, "Mr. Trump appeared to nod off a few times, his mouth going slack and his head drooping onto his chest" — Trump denied the descriptions.

"Contrary to the FAKE NEWS MEDIA, I don’t fall asleep during the Crooked D.A.’s Witch Hunt, especially not today," he wrote in a May 2, 2024, Truth Social post. "I simply close my beautiful blue eyes, sometimes, listen intensely, and take it ALL in!!!"

At 79, Trump is the oldest person to ever be elected president. In a recent report that angered the president, The New York Times detailed Trump's change in schedule in his second term, during which the outlet said he has scaled back his public appearances.

In the piece, NYT White House correspondent Katie Rogers — whom Trump slammed as "ugly, both inside and out" for her reporting – suggested that "when he is in public, occasionally, his battery shows signs of wear."

The president called the report a “hit piece,” writing on social media, “There will be a day when I run low on Energy, it happens to everyone, but with a PERFECT PHYSICAL EXAM AND A COMPREHENSIVE COGNITIVE TEST ('That was aced') JUST RECENTLY TAKEN, it certainly is not now!”

Trump often compares his performance to that of former President Joe Biden, and has disparaged his predecessor with the nickname "Sleepy Joe."

After images of Trump appearing to close his eyes during an Oval Office announcement went viral last month, he went on the offensive by criticizing Biden.

"He sleeps all the time — during the day, during the night, on the beach,” Trump said of the former president, who returned to private life in January. Trump then added, “I’m not a sleeper.”

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Trump — who was meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the Oval Office at the time that he referenced his sleeping habits — said he and the crown prince "talk at night" and speak at "the craziest times."

"When you love your job, when you love your country, and when you're in a position like we are … you're thinking about your country," Trump added. "He thinks about his country, and I think about my country. I don't want to sleep."