The White House used its Rapid Response account on X to post screenshots of CNN personalities and guests with eyes closed, arguing that “sleepy” images can be manufactured—on the same day President Donald Trump underwent his latest scheduled physical.
On Tuesday. the White House went after CNN’s coverage of President Donald Trump’s health in a way that was equal parts petty and pointed: it posted screenshots—multiple of them—showing CNN figures with eyes closed and heads bowed. then pushed back on the idea that Trump’s own appearances prove he’s been nodding off.
The flurry of posts came from the White House’s Rapid Response account on X. The account shared images of CNN personalities and guests in moments that appear to capture mid-blink or a brief stillness. as if to make the argument that anyone can be made to look asleep in a single frame. The White House has “repeatedly sought to use that spin” to push back on what it calls the “sleepy Trump” narrative.
The people featured in the White House posts included CNN’s Kate Bolduan, Kevin Liptak, Dana Bash, Jake Tapper and Brianna Keilar. It also included The Wall Street Journal’s Josh Dawsey and Harvard Medical School professor Dr. Jeremy Faust.
Bash responded to one of the White House posts with a brief quip: “If only ! Thanks for watching.”
The timing wasn’t subtle. The posts landed the same day that Trump underwent his latest scheduled physical, with scrutiny over his health, mental acuity and general fitness for office continuing to intensify.
The sequence also put the spotlight back on how the argument over Trump’s condition plays out—not just in doctor’s rooms or press briefings. but in the visual language of broadcast coverage. One still image. a set of eyes closed. then a political message designed to flip the focus from the president to the coverage itself.
White House Rapid Response X CNN sleepy Trump Dana Bash Kate Bolduan Kevin Liptak Jake Tapper Brianna Keilar Josh Dawsey Dr. Jeremy Faust Donald Trump physical health scrutiny mental acuity