UMVA has learned that a heated exchange took place between Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Rep. Ted Lieu over allegations that President Donald Trump falls asleep in cabinet meetings and has declining cognitive abilities.
The tense confrontation occurred during a Foreign Affairs Committee hearing, where Lieu presented videos he claimed showed Trump sleeping during meetings and making contradictory statements about Iran's military. Rubio vehemently denied the allegations, calling them "false" and "outrageous."
"I've never seen him fall asleep," Rubio stated. "On the contrary, the guy doesn't sleep. It's a big problem because he calls me at two in the morning, he calls me at five in the morning."
Lieu countered by accusing Rubio of lying under oath and presented another video showing Trump appearing to have his eyes closed briefly during a cabinet meeting. He also played a clip of Trump allegedly sleeping at a Memorial Day ceremony.
"There's something wrong with Donald Trump's health or cognitive abilities," Lieu declared. "There's a reason he keeps going to the hospital and they keep giving him cognitive tests. We have not seen the President in eight days. The American people deserve the truth."
Rubio shot back, calling Lieu's accusations "absurd and ridiculous." He claimed that Trump has an "incredible amount of energy" and works long hours every day, often calling him at odd hours of the night.
"I've been on foreign trips with the President, and he doesn't sleep in the whole flight," Rubio said. "Everyone else is sleeping on the plane, and he's wandering the hallways looking for someone to wake up and talk to."
The exchange ended with Lieu telling Rubio to "just keep lying" and Rubio insisting that Trump is not cognitively impaired and has not been sleeping during meetings.
Sources close to the situation have confirmed that Trump's schedule and activities have been scrutinized by both sides, with some questioning his ability to perform his duties.
Despite the controversy, it remains unclear what impact these allegations will have on Trump's presidency or the ongoing investigations into his administration.
