Trump said he was ‘sharper than I was 25 years ago.’ Then he spent an hour appearing to doze off – again

At the start of a Cabinet meeting just after noon ET on Tuesday, President Donald Trump made his seemingly obligatory reference to “Sleepy Joe” Biden.

Then he assured he was “sharper than I was 25 years ago,” while rebuking The New York Times for a lengthy and detailed story last week laying out how the 79-year-old president appears to have slowed down during his second term. “Trump is sharp, but they’re not sharp,” Trump said of the newspaper.

Trump chastised reporters for what he cast as unfair treatment when it comes to his health and stamina, adding, “You people are crazy.”

But over the next hour and a half, Trump struggled to embody the sharpness and vigor he had just laid claim to.

In fact, he seemed to wage a lengthy and often-losing battle with a midday nap. Even as his Cabinet was assembled to engage in one of his favorite activities – singing the praises of Trump – he repeatedly appeared to doze off.

It was the kind of scene, in fact, that Trump once upon a time ridiculed as evidence of a president’s lack of stamina and fitness for the job.

About 15 minutes after his broadside against the health and stamina reporting, Trump seemed to struggle to keep his eyes open as Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick praised his trade wars and hailed “the greatest Cabinet ever for the greatest president ever.”

Just before 1:45 p.m. ET, he gave Secretary of State Marco Rubio the same treatment, as Rubio extolled Trump’s efforts to end wars. Except this time Trump’s apparent dozing was more pronounced because he was seated right next to the secretary, and the cameras were zoomed in on the two of them. (Previous speakers had been more distant from Trump.)

At the end of Rubio’s monologue, the secretary of state cracked a joke about how we’re now upon “the most wonderful, magical time of the year. And by that, of course, I’m referring to the College Football Playoff.”

Those kinds of things are going to seed suspicions and legitimize investigations like the Times’, especially when the president shows more signs of age.

Just like calling someone “Sleepy Joe” ad nauseam is going to make it more noticeable when Trump can’t seem to shake his own sleepiness.