The White House communications team is taking a bizarre new approach to concerns regarding the 79-year-old president’s health.
The Trump administration’s Rapid-Response account fired off roughly a dozen X posts accusing news anchors and reporters of falling asleep on air, in response to questions about President Donald Trump’s habit of appearing to doze off during meetings. The public relations stunt coincided with the president’s Tuesday trip to Walter Reed Medical Center for a physical.
“Third-rate loser @jeffmason1 cannot seem to keep his eyes open as he speculates (lies) about President Trump’s perfect health. Not good,” a White House spokesperson wrote alongside a screenshot of the Bloomberg reporter blinking.
Many of the attacks were directed at CNN journalists.
“BRIANNA KEILAR SAYS NAP WENT “PERFECTLY” AFTER FALLING ASLEEP LIVE ON AIR,” a White House spokesperson wrote on X. “RUMOR IS SHE ALSO FAILED HER COGNITIVE EXAM (UNLIKE PRESIDENT TRUMP — WHOSE WAS PERFECT!)”
Before that, CNN’s Jake Tapper and Dana Bash were targeted. “FLASHBACK: FAKE TAPPER APPEARS TO DOZE OFF THROUGHOUT HIS ‘SHOW’,” a spokesperson wrote. “.@DanaBashCNN FALLS ASLEEP AHEAD OF HER 55TH BIRTHDAY NEXT MONTH. WHAT IS GOING ON?”
Also included were Kate Bolduan and Kevin Liptak. “Wow! @KateBolduan just fell asleep AGAIN as Fake News CNN was baselessly speculating about President Trump’s health. Really makes you wonder what these clowns are hiding about their own health,” one post reads, with another captioned: “What’s going on with @Kevinliptakcnn’s health? He’s sleeping on air!”
The Daily Beast has reached out to representatives for CNN and Bloomberg.
Bash found the humor in the claims and shared the Rapid Response post on her X account. “If only! Thanks for watching,” she wrote.
Trump has appeared to nod off on-air numerous times at White House events and other engagements—including at a Memorial Day event at Arlington Cemetery on Monday.
Yet amid his team’s flailing of the so-called fake news, Trump, who turns 80 in June, announced he was in great health following his fourth visit to the medical center in Bethesda, Maryland, since retaking office.
“Just finished my 6 month physical at Walter Reed Military Medical Center,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Tuesday afternoon. “Everything checked out PERFECTLY. Thank you to the great Doctors and Staff! Heading back to the White House.”
The White House has yet to provide an official medical report, so it is not known how well the examination went.
Trump, who turns 80 on June 14, is the oldest American president to be inaugurated.
