Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross Falls Asleep During Trump’s UN Speech

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross fell asleep for at least 15 minutes during President Trump’s speech at the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday. During his speech, Trump spoke about a possible trade deal with China—a deal that falls directly under the 81-year-old Ross’ purview. This is not the first time the commerce secretary has been seen catching some shut-eye during Trump addresses: Ross also fell asleep during a Trump speech in Saudi Arabia in May 2017 while he was sitting near the president’s daughter Ivanka Trump.

A Politico story from July reported that Ross has become well-known for dozing off in Commerce Department meetings, leading the agency to operate around his sleep schedule. “Because he tends to fall asleep in meetings, they try not to put him in a position where that could happen, so they’re very careful and conscious about how they schedule certain meetings,” a former outside adviser told Politico. “There’s a small window where he’s able to focus and pay attention and not fall asleep.”