Rubio Faces Video of Trump Appearing to Nod Off at Cabinet Meeting, Still Says He Has ‘Never Seen Him Fall Asleep’

A House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on the State Department’s FY2027 budget request turned into a sharp political confrontation after Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., played a series of videos he said showed President Donald Trump appearing to sleep at official events. The exchange centered on whether Secretary of State Marco Rubio was being truthful when he denied ever seeing Trump doze off. Rubio rejected Lieu’s accusation and defended the president, saying Trump works extremely long hours and is not cognitively impaired.

Lieu first played footage from a December 2, 2025, Cabinet meeting that appeared to show Trump with his eyes closed during extended updates from Cabinet officials, including Rubio. Rubio reacted with surprise when the clip was shown, but quickly pushed back, saying he had never seen Trump fall asleep and arguing that the president rarely sleeps, even calling him at early morning hours. Lieu responded by accusing Rubio of lying to Congress and pressed him on whether Trump had ever fallen asleep in classified meetings. Rubio said he had never been in such a meeting, and the argument escalated as Lieu repeated his accusation.

Lieu then presented a second clip from a Cabinet meeting the previous month, which appeared to show Trump dozing while Rubio spoke about wartime issues. Lieu said the footage was evidence that the president had been sleeping while serious national security matters were being discussed. Rubio again denied the characterization, insisting that the video did not show Trump asleep. The exchange became more pointed as Lieu suggested Rubio was contradicting his testimony.

To broaden his case, Lieu played a third video from France 24 showing international coverage of Memorial Day ceremony footage from Arlington National Cemetery. In that clip, Trump appeared to have his eyes closed during remarks by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. The footage had already spread widely online and fueled renewed comparisons to Trump’s longtime criticism of former President Joe Biden as “Sleepy Joe.” Critics argued that Trump’s own apparent drowsiness undercut those attacks and raised questions about his stamina.

Lieu said the incident had consequences beyond domestic politics, arguing that foreign audiences were watching closely and that the clips made the president look weak and feeble. He said Trump’s apparent inability to stay awake on the job was hurting America’s image abroad and becoming a source of mockery in other countries.

Rubio firmly rejected that portrayal. He called Lieu’s comments absurd and ridiculous, defended Trump’s work ethic, and said the president often keeps “inhumane hours,” including late-night sessions in the Oval Office. Rubio also contrasted Trump with Biden, saying Trump was not asleep or cognitively impaired in any way. He maintained that the viral clips were being misinterpreted and echoed the White House’s earlier defenses, which had described one incident as “boredom” and another as simple blinking. The hearing highlighted how questions about Trump’s public appearances continue to fuel partisan conflict and online scrutiny during his second term.