Marco Rubio Disregards Ted Lieu’s Receipts With a Strange Defense of the President’s Sleeping Patterns
Loyal to a fault.
Marco Rubio just told Congress he’s never seen Donald Trump doze off during meetings, despite video evidence showing exactly that. During a heated exchange with Rep. Ted Lieu on June 3, 2026, the Secretary of State insisted the President is a night owl who calls him at 2 a.m. and works around the clock. When Lieu played clips of Trump with his eyes closed during Cabinet meetings, Rubio dismissed the footage as false and called the whole line of questioning absurd.
The back-and-forth started when Lieu asked Rubio if he’d ever witnessed the President falling asleep during official business. Rubio’s response was immediate and emphatic. “That’s false. I’ve never seen him fall asleep. On the contrary, the guy doesn’t sleep, which is a big problem because he calls me at 2 in the morning,” he said, according to The Hill.
He went on to describe the President’s work ethic as relentless, even claiming he’s seen him stay awake for entire flights during foreign trips while everyone else sleeps. “He has an incredible amount of energy,” Rubio added, arguing that anyone who thinks otherwise simply doesn’t like the President’s policies.
Lieu wasn’t having it
He pulled up a clip from a December Cabinet meeting showing the President with his eyes closed, his head nodding slightly, while Rubio spoke next to him. “You will see that he is sleeping while you are talking,” Lieu said before playing the footage. Rubio insisted the President was just resting his eyes. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said, before pivoting to Trump’s late-night work habits. “The other day he was at the Oval Office at 12:30 a.m. I don’t know what you’re referring to.”
The exchange didn’t stop there. Lieu played another clip, this one from a Memorial Day ceremony, where a report from France 24 raised concerns about the President’s health after his eyes appeared to be closed. Lieu suggested the President’s behavior makes him look weak in front of global adversaries. Rubio shot back, calling the questions about the President’s cognitive ability “absurd” and doubling down on his defense.
This isn’t the first time the President’s tendency to close his eyes during meetings has come up. Earlier this year, he addressed the issue himself, calling Cabinet meetings “boring as hell” but insisting his eyes closing weren’t a sign of poor health. “I didn’t sleep, I just closed them,” he said at the time.
He also claimed he doesn’t sleep much, a point Rubio echoed during the hearing. The President’s late-night calls to staff and officials seem to back up that claim, even if the video evidence suggests he might not always be fully alert during the day.
The scrutiny over Trump’s health has intensified as he approaches his 80th birthday
Recent medical reports show he’s close to being clinically obese, with his doctor recommending exercise and weight loss. Still, the White House physician, Capt. Sean Barbabella, declared him “fully fit to carry out all duties of the Commander-in-Chief and Head of State,” per USA Today.
The reports also noted the President’s cognitive and physical performance are “excellent,” despite some minor health issues like bruising on his hands and swelling in his legs. His doctor attributed the bruising to aspirin use and frequent handshaking, while the leg swelling is caused by chronic venous insufficiency, a common condition in older adults.
Rubio’s defense of the President’s sleep habits isn’t just about dismissing the video clips. It’s part of a broader effort to push back against concerns about his fitness for office. The Secretary of State made it clear he sees the questions as politically motivated, telling Lieu, “You may not like his policies. You may not like the decisions he’s made. But I assure you, this is not a president that sleeps or is cognitively impaired.”
Still, the optics aren’t great
When a world leader is caught on camera with their eyes closed during high-stakes meetings, it’s hard not to wonder if something is off. Lieu certainly thinks so. “Donald Trump’s inability to stay awake on the job shows that there’s something very wrong with his health and cognitive abilities,” he said during the hearing.
That’s a strong accusation, and one that Rubio was quick to reject. But with the President’s medical reports showing some concerning signs, like his weight and minor health issues, it’s a conversation that’s likely to continue. For now, Rubio’s defense hinges on the idea that the President is a workaholic who thrives on little sleep. Whether that’s enough to counter the video evidence remains to be seen.
What’s clear is that the debate over the President’s health isn’t just about his physical condition. It’s also about perception, and right now, the perception is that he’s struggling to stay awake during some of the most important moments of his presidency. That’s not a good look, no matter how it’s spun.
(Featured image: The White House)
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