Trump rejects claims of napping in meetings, says media mistook his blinks for dozing
WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump rejected concerns about his age and physical condition in a new interview with The Wall Street Journal, published on Thursday, January 1. He is denying claims that he was slowing down midway through his second term.
The 79-year-old president said that his health was “perfect,” attributing it to “good genetics,” even as the report cited people close to him who said that he had shown signs of aging in public and private settings.
Donald Trump claims he's 'blinking' and not sleeping
Trump also dismissed repeated accusations that he had fallen asleep during cabinet meetings and other White House gatherings, saying that photos showing his eyes closed were misleading.
“I’ll just close. It’s very relaxing to me,” Trump said. “Sometimes they’ll take a picture of me blinking, blinking, and they’ll catch me with the blink.”
According to the report, some administration officials have been encouraged to shorten presentations for the president.
Dr Mehmet Oz, who heads the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, said he believed Trump became bored during a November meeting in which cameras appeared to capture him dozing.
Trump countered that he had never been a big sleeper and often communicated with aides late into the night and early morning hours.
Trump says exercise is boring
Addressing visible bruising on his hands, frequently covered with makeup, Trump said that the marks are the result of his daily aspirin use.
He acknowledged that he takes a higher dose than his doctors recommend but insisted that the bruising was not a sign of any serious health issue.
In the same interview, Trump reiterated his long-standing aversion to exercise, calling it “boring,” and said most of his physical activity comes from playing golf.
He also acknowledged that he may have fueled speculation about his health by undergoing a cardiovascular and abdominal scan in October, a decision he now says he regrets.
“In retrospect, it’s too bad I took it because it gave them a little ammunition,” Trump said. “I would have been a lot better off if they didn’t, because the fact that I took it said, ‘Oh gee, is something wrong?’ Well, nothing’s wrong.”
Meanwhile, in a cabinet meeting, after reporters raised questions about his health. He showed up with two large Band-Aids on the back of his right hand, a spot where he has often been seen covering constant bruises with bandages or makeup.
Trump argued that the media paid more attention to how he looks than to what his administration was doing.
He also noted that this was not the first time cameras had zoomed in on him, trying to cover the mark on his hand. “Is something wrong with the president?” Trump said, mocking the coverage.
“I had one day where I didn’t do a news conference. ‘Is something wrong with the president?’” Trump said, mocking the burst of online speculation in September after he went a few days without public appearances.
Throughout his comments, Trump said that the media focused too much on his health and not enough on Joe Biden’s. He brushed off the attention and said that he felt completely fine.
