A prominent CNN medical analyst is calling on the White House to disclose whether President Donald Trump has received any medical assessment for what the doctor describes as a troubling pattern of daytime drowsiness, following multiple public occasions where the 80-year-old commander-in-chief appeared to nod off during official duties.
Dr. Jonathan Reiner, who teaches cardiology at George Washington University’s School of Medicine and served as a longtime physician to former Vice President Dick Cheney, raised the issue during a May 2026 appearance on CNN with host Kate Bolduan as Trump prepared for his second visit to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center since October.
Medical Expert Flags Health Concerns
Reiner told Bolduan the president shows substantial sleepiness throughout daytime, often falling asleep even with aides around in the Oval Office and cabinet room. The physician warned that persistent insomnia—which he identified as a possible underlying cause—poses severe dangers for elderly individuals, including higher dementia risk and measurable drops in mental performance.
The doctor pointed to additional warning signs he considers noteworthy: repeated bruising visible on Trump’s hands along with swelling observable in his ankles and legs. While the White House has previously blamed the bruising on energetic handshaking and chalked up the swelling to chronic venous insufficiency, Reiner suggested those explanations lack plausibility. He demanded the administration clarify whether any measures have been implemented to investigate and treat the heightened daytime drowsiness.
White House spokesman Davis Ingle fired back, labeling Reiner “a Democrat hack doctor” and declaring Trump “the sharpest, most accessible, and energetic president in American history.” The White House rapid response account on social media tried to flip the attack, alleging Bolduan and her guest themselves had their eyes shut during the segment.
Documented Episodes Across Settings
The scrutiny stems from a series of documented moments spanning formal government proceedings and ceremonial gatherings. At a December 2, 2025, Cabinet meeting held shortly past noon, Trump began by invoking his “Sleepy Joe” label for former President Joe Biden and proclaiming himself “sharper than I was 25 years ago”—a clear rebuttal to a New York Times article suggesting the then-79-year-old had lost a step during his second term. Yet over the next hour and a half, CNN observed Trump seemingly battling fatigue multiple times, his eyelids drooping even while Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick lauded the trade agenda. Just about 15 minutes had passed since his declaration of sharpness when he appeared to drift off.
On November 6, 2025, photographs from an Oval Office event unveiling reductions in weight-loss drug pricing went viral on social media, depicting Trump with closed eyes, appearing at times to struggle keeping them open, and touching his face at several junctures. California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s press office swiftly circulated pictures from the occasion captioned: “DOZY DON IS BACK.”
White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers defended the president forcefully, noting Trump delivered remarks during the gathering and answered many questions from reporters. Rogers attacked what she termed a “garbage narrative” pushed by “the failing, liberal media.”
Attendees at a National Guard briefing in March 2026 reported Trump shutting his eyes for stretches lasting 10 or 15 seconds.
Age Becomes a Two-Edged Sword
Trump holds the distinction of being the oldest man ever sworn into the presidency. Throughout his initial term and his 2024 campaign, he relentlessly hammered former President Joe Biden—who previously held the record as the oldest sitting president—on matters of age and sharpness. That background lends special intensity to present-day criticism. At the December 2025 Cabinet meeting, Trump tried to get ahead of the narrative, telling reporters, “You people are crazy,” and dismissing health reporting as driven by political bias.
Defenders of the president offer a legitimate rebuttal. Trump routinely faces the press for prolonged periods, fields off-the-cuff inquiries from the media, gave an economic address in Miami exceeding an hour, and finished a three-nation tour across Asia. Staff members describe a chief executive who reaches out to advisers around the clock. Historical perspective also weighs in: even former President Barack Obama was sometimes seen wiping tired eyes during marathon overseas conferences.
Transparency Demands Go Unmet
Critics argue what distinguishes the present circumstances is the repeated nature of the occurrences across varied forums, irrespective of how significant the occasion. Reiner’s public demand that the White House reveal what clinical examination, if conducted at all, has tackled the problem has gone without reply. Inquiries about whether Trump has received an MRI during a checkup, and what findings his doctors have reached, have not been covered in official summaries. The administration has offered no comprehensive medical accounting of the recurring incidents or of the particular concerns Reiner and others have voiced.
