Donald Trump finally addresses why his eyes keep closing during Cabinet meetings — and, of course, he swears he’s not napping on the job

President Donald Trump has given a clear reason for why he often closes his eyes during long Cabinet meetings. He says the meetings are “boring as hell.” The president made this honest statement recently, pushing back against rumors that his behavior shows health problems.

According to The New York Magazine, Trump explained that these meetings can go on for hours. He said one recent meeting lasted three and a half hours as he listened to twenty-eight different officials speak. “It’s boring as hell,” Trump said. He added that he tries to move his hand slightly to show everyone he is still paying attention. “I’m hearing every word, and I can’t wait to get out,” he admitted.

People close to the president defend his actions. They say closing his eyes is not about boredom but about focusing hard on what people are saying. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the behavior a “listening mechanism” that helps him pay better attention to speakers. Rubio shared one example where President Trump showed great attention to detail. 

The White House defends Trump’s eye-closing as a sign of focus

Trump surprised the Secretary with medallion samples after noticing some were missing from chandeliers at the State Department. Rubio said, “The guy is too healthy. He’s too active.” This explanation comes after months of questions about the president’s physical and mental fitness.

Political experts, former staff members, and commentators have raised concerns. They pointed to different incidents, including remarks made in Quantico, Virginia, last October where the president was called “incoherent.” Conservative commentator Megyn Kelly said his campaign appearances sometimes showed “senior moments” and “rambling” speech.

Despite constant questions, President Trump has strongly defended his health record. He recently said he deeply regrets agreeing to a medical scan at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center last fall. He believes the scan only created more questions about his health. This comes as the president continues his goal of replacing the UN with his own international board.

“It was the worst f—ing thing I ever did, and I blame them,” the president said, referring to his doctors. He said the medical staff pushed him to take the scan, and now “because I took it, people want to say, ‘Oh, there must be something wrong.'” 

The president told reporters the scan results were “perfect.” When people questioned him for not knowing what body part was scanned, Trump explained: “It was just an MRI. What part of the body? It wasn’t the brain because I took a cognitive test, and I aced it.”

Col. James Jones from the White House medical unit offered more details. Jones said the president did not get a standard MRI but rather a “computerized tomography exam of his chest and his abdomen,” which is an “MRI-like” procedure. Jones said this type of imaging is normal for any patient the president’s age. 

The Colonel said the important thing is the outcome. “The story should be about the fact that the results were, uh, perfect. They did not demonstrate any problems,” Jones said. Some observers note that health concerns represent what Trump has always feared throughout his political career.