Newly released video footage captures the instance when Donald Trump dozed off in the Oval Office while introducing a policy that would impact a large number of children. The 79-year-old US president was observed closing his eyes and even seeming to snore during a signing event in the Oval Office the previous day.
Trump had recently signed a bill allowing school cafeterias to offer whole and 2% milk, surrounded by legislators, dairy farmers, and their children at the White House. However, as officials began discussing the perceived benefits of higher-fat milk, the president took a moment to rest his eyes, keeping them shut for approximately 17 seconds. His attention was only regained when US Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins raised her voice.
Before signing the bill that reversed restrictions on higher-fat milk options set during the Obama administration, Trump expressed, “Whether you’re a Democrat or a Republican, whole milk is a great thing.” Earlier this week, the Agriculture Department shared a social media post featuring Trump with a glass of milk sporting a “milk mustache” and the slogan “Drink Whole Milk.”
The new legislation also allows schools to serve nondairy milk meeting milk’s nutritional standards and mandates offering a nondairy milk alternative if students present a parental note citing dietary restrictions. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr, a proponent of including whole milk in school menus, hailed the law as “a long-overdue correction to school nutrition policy.”
These updated regulations will impact meals served to approximately 30 million students enrolled in the National School Lunch Program. Trump, who has previously refuted claims of falling asleep during meetings, clarified that he was merely resting his eyes or blinking. Amid rising concerns about Trump’s health, the president underwent multiple tests last year, including assessments of his cognitive abilities.
Additionally, Trump has been seen covering dark bruises on his hands with makeup, which White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt attributed to the president’s extensive handshaking activities. Leavitt emphasized Trump’s high volume of daily interactions in the Oval Office and his aspirin regimen, which medical examinations have indicated could contribute to bruising.