Donald Trump nodding off on live TV and a turn of phrase used by Stephen Miller during interviews has left MSNBC host Symone Sanders-Townsend asking, “Who is actually in charge here?”
Speaking on The Daily Beast Podcast, Sanders-Townsend—a former adviser to Joe Biden and Kamala Harris—argued that Trump aides’ casual reaction to the 79-year-old president’s Oval Office nap last week suggests such lapses have become disturbingly routine.
“When I saw that, it brought up the questions again about: What is the actual apparatus of this White House? Who is actually in charge here?” said Sanders-Townsend, co-host of The Weeknight. “Because that can’t be the first time the president fell asleep. You know how I know? Because they didn’t bat an eye.”
Sanders-Townsend, 35, noted that at Trump’s frequent Executive Order ceremonies, his aides often appear to explain to him the contents of the very order he is signing.
“Is this the first time you are hearing about this? Did the president sign off on this in advance? Who is signing off on the particulars of what is happening in this White House?” asked Sanders-Townsend.
She pointed to White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller’s use of “I” or “we” when speaking to reporters, a clear departure from the language she said she used as then-Vice President Harris’ chief spokesperson.
“When I worked at the White House, it is not ‘I’ or ‘we,’ it is ‘the president’ and ‘the vice president,’” she told host Joanna Coles. “And so if we’re using ‘I’ statements, are you the one making the decision, Stephen Miller, about these strike force teams [in the Caribbean]? How much aware is the president of what is going on?”
She said, “These are all questions I think that deserve to be asked,” arguing that Trump is facing far less scrutiny from the press over his fitness than Joe Biden did.
If Biden, now 82 years old, had dozed off during an Oval Office event, “it would be breaking news for three weeks,” she added.
Trump’s vacant reaction when a man fainted behind him during the very event where he fell asleep raises even more questions, according to Sanders-Townsend.
“He stood up and didn’t even turn around and check on him. I think the president just woke up,” she said, though she added that “to his credit,” Trump seemed more alert when he returned after the medical incident.
The Daily Beast has reached out to the White House for comment.
Speculation about Trump’s health has ramped up in his second term. He carries a bruise on his hand that won’t heal and often walks unsteadily on his swollen ankles. He is also prone to regular mental gaffes.
Trump had a physical in October—just a few months after his last annual exam—that included both an MRI and a cognitive test. The White House has not explained why Trump underwent the MRI, a procedure not usually part of a standard checkup.
Psychologist Dr. John Gartner previously told the Daily Beast Podcast that Trump’s “major deterioration” in language skills—seen in the president’s rambling speeches and forgetting of basic facts—may be a sign of dementia.
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