US President Donald Trump cut short a cabinet meeting on Thursday, declaring previous marathon sessions in which he was spotted resting his eyes were "pretty boring."
But Trump denied that he had been caught napping during the previous gatherings at the White House, one of which lasted three hours and 17 minutes as his team took turns praising him.
"We are going to ask a couple of people to say a few words, and we're not going to go through the whole table," Trump said after his opening monologue Thursday, which lasted 25 minutes.
"Because the last time we had a press conference, it lasted for three hours, and some people said 'he closed his eyes.'
"Look, it got pretty boring. I love these people, but there's a lot of people," he added. "But I didn't sleep. I just closed them because I wanted to get the hell out of here."
Among the officials that Trump did not call on to speak at his first cabinet meeting of 2026 was Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem -- who is at the center of a storm over the killing of a protester by immigration agents in Minneapolis.
Trump's critics have compared his cabinet meetings to North Korea, with members of his government competing with each other to hail his leadership while outlining their own achievements to their boss.
But 79-year-old Trump has appeared to struggle to keep his eyes open in some of them, raising sensitive questions about the health of the oldest person ever to be elected as US president.
Trump has pushed back against questions over his vigor. He also blamed "boring as hell" cabinet meetings for looking sleepy in an interview with New York Magazine published on Monday.
This time the cabinet met for a relatively short -- for Trump -- one hour and 20 minutes.Â
Almost as extraordinary was the fact that Trump declined to take questions from reporters at the end. That meant no awkward queries to Noem -- or to the president himself on his escalating threats of military action against Iran.
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...EXTREME COLD WARNING NOW IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO NOON
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* WHAT...For the Extreme Cold Warning, dangerously cold wind chills
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to 25 mph with gusts up to 40 mph expected.
* WHERE...Autauga, Bibb, Blount, Chilton, Dallas, Etowah, Fayette,
Greene, Hale, Jefferson, Lamar, Lowndes, Marengo, Marion, Perry,
Pickens, Shelby, St. Clair, Sumter, Tuscaloosa, Walker, and
Winston Counties.
* WHEN...For the Extreme Cold Warning, from midnight tonight to noon
CST Sunday. For the Wind Advisory, from 2 AM to 9 PM CST Saturday.
* IMPACTS...Gusty winds will blow around unsecured objects. Trees
could be blown down and a few power outages may result. Frostbite
and hypothermia will occur if unprotected skin is exposed to these
temperatures. An extended period of subfreezing temperatures could
cause pipes to burst.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Winds this strong can make driving difficult, especially for high
profile vehicles. Use extra caution.
Secure outdoor objects.
Dress in layers including a hat, face mask, and gloves if you must
go outside.
Keep pets indoors as much as possible.
Make frequent checks on older family, friends, and neighbors. Ensure
portable heaters are used correctly. Do not use generators or grills
inside.
To prevent freezing and possible bursting of pipes they should be
wrapped, drained, or allowed to drip slowly.
&&
...EXTREME COLD WARNING NOW IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO NOON
CST SUNDAY...
...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 2 AM TO 9 PM CST SATURDAY...
* WHAT...For the Extreme Cold Warning, dangerously cold wind chills
below zero are expected. For the Wind Advisory, northwest winds 15
to 25 mph with gusts up to 40 mph expected.
* WHERE...Autauga, Bibb, Blount, Chilton, Dallas, Etowah, Fayette,
Greene, Hale, Jefferson, Lamar, Lowndes, Marengo, Marion, Perry,
Pickens, Shelby, St. Clair, Sumter, Tuscaloosa, Walker, and
Winston Counties.
* WHEN...For the Extreme Cold Warning, from midnight tonight to noon
CST Sunday. For the Wind Advisory, from 2 AM to 9 PM CST Saturday.
* IMPACTS...Gusty winds will blow around unsecured objects. Trees
could be blown down and a few power outages may result. Frostbite
and hypothermia will occur if unprotected skin is exposed to these
temperatures. An extended period of subfreezing temperatures could
cause pipes to burst.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Winds this strong can make driving difficult, especially for high
profile vehicles. Use extra caution.
Secure outdoor objects.
Dress in layers including a hat, face mask, and gloves if you must
go outside.
Keep pets indoors as much as possible.
Make frequent checks on older family, friends, and neighbors. Ensure
portable heaters are used correctly. Do not use generators or grills
inside.
To prevent freezing and possible bursting of pipes they should be
wrapped, drained, or allowed to drip slowly.
&&
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