Rubio's Defense of Trump Videos Fails to Convince Critics

WHO:

HuffPost - Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Congressman Ted Lieu, President Donald Trump, Dr. Mehmet Oz, Dr. Jonathan Reiner

Alternet - Congressman Ted Lieu, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, President Donald Trump

WHAT:

HuffPost - Rubio was confronted with a video from a December 2025 Cabinet meeting showing Trump appearing slumped over with his eyes closed.

HuffPost - Lieu accused Rubio of lying about Trump’s ability to stay awake during important meetings.

HuffPost - Lieu claimed that Trump’s drowsiness has led other nations to mock him as “weak” and “feeble.”

Alternet - Lieu presented footage of Trump appearing to doze off during a Cabinet meeting and claimed Rubio was lying under oath.

Alternet - Lieu stated that Trump has not held any events or press conferences in about a week.

WHERE:

HuffPost - The events took place during a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing.

Alternet - The Cabinet meeting footage was shown during the same House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing.

WHEN:

HuffPost - The Cabinet meeting video was from December 2025.

Alternet - The Cabinet meeting footage was from last month, referring to a Memorial Day ceremony.

WHY:

HuffPost - Lieu suggested that there are concerns about Trump’s health or cognitive abilities due to his repeated hospital visits.

Alternet - Lieu implied that Trump’s inability to stay awake during meetings raises questions about his fitness for office.

HOW:

HuffPost - Rubio denied Lieu's accusations and claimed Trump does not sleep, stating, “the guy doesn’t sleep, which is a big problem, ’cause he calls me at 2 in the morning, he calls me at 5 in the morning.”

Alternet - Lieu used video evidence to challenge Rubio's statements about Trump’s alertness during meetings.

(UPDATED June 4, 2026 11:53 UTC)

During a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing, Congressman Ted Lieu confronted Secretary of State Marco Rubio with video evidence from a December 2025 Cabinet meeting, showing President Trump appearing slumped over with his eyes closed. Lieu accused Rubio of lying under oath about Trump's ability to stay awake during important meetings, suggesting that Trump's drowsiness has led other nations to view him as "weak" and "feeble." In response, Rubio denied the accusations, insisting that Trump does not sleep and often calls him at odd hours, while Lieu pointed to Trump's recent lack of public events as a sign of potential health concerns.