White House Recasts Trump’s Dozing at 80 as Effort to Hear Better

3 articles · Updated · The Daily Beast · Jun 14

White House officials are telling allies and media that moments when 80-year-old Donald Trump appears to doze off are actually him closing his eyes to better hear people speaking.
The explanation follows a string of public episodes — in Oval Office meetings, White House events and most recently a Knicks game — that have intensified scrutiny of Trump’s age and health.
That defense has been undercut by reports that Trump was seen this week leaning away from EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin with his eyes shut, while aides also continue to dismiss recurring bruises on his hands as heavy handshaking.
A New York Times report said Trump sometimes reaches the Oval Office as late as 11 a.m. and keeps an erratic schedule, while one insider described him as “more tired than usual” amid heavy late-night Truth Social posting.
An April Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll found fewer than half of U.S. adults believe Trump has the mental sharpness or physical health to serve effectively, underscoring the political risk around any discussion of his age.