Donald Trump has reiterated his claims of being a light sleeper after footage surfaced that seemed to show him dozing off during a meeting.
During the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit this week, President Trump was questioned by reporters about his approach to managing time and workload, a question also directed at his foreign guest.
The reporter referenced Trump’s earlier remarks on bin Salman’s sleep patterns from a prior visit to Saudi Arabia and asked: “How do you manage your own time and what’s your formula for management?”
Trump replied: “He does not sleep much, and I don’t sleep much, I think we have the same schedule. Thinking about our countries.”
“If you sleep a lot and you’re president … no, he’s not a sleeper, I’m not a sleeper, what else?”
Trump, who has often criticized Joe Biden for supposedly ‘sleeping all the time,’ elaborated: “We talk at night … I can call him almost anytime,” even at what he referred to as “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,” he stated. “He thinks about his country, and I think about my country. I don’t want to sleep.”
Despite Trump’s assertions of minimal sleep, footage previously captured him seemingly napping during his May visit to Saudi Arabia.
According to a video shared by The Daily Beast, Trump appeared with closed eyes during a ceremonial event. More recently, he was again seen with his eyes shut on November 6, during a weight loss drug pricing announcement.
Nonetheless, despite online allegations of the President dozing off, the White House firmly refuted any claims of Trump sleeping during the televised meeting.
“The President was not sleeping; in fact, he spoke throughout and took many questions from the press during this announcement which represents a historic reduction in prices for Americans on two drugs that help Americans struggling with diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and other conditions,” stated the official response.
When pressed by journalists about the President’s appearance of sleep, a stern statement was issued to CNN: “This announcement by President Trump will save a significant amount of money and countless American lives, and yet the failing, liberal media want to push a garbage narrative instead of covering it.”