Marco Rubio Caught Lying to Congress About Donald Trump Falling Asleep

Secretary of State Marco Rubio engaged in a fierce, televised confrontation with Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) during a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing over whether President Donald Trump frequently falls asleep in meetings.

The high-profile exchange occurred on Wednesday, June 3. It quickly escalated into a national debate over the president's health and the truthfulness of his top cabinet officials.

During the congressional hearing, Rep. Lieu asked Secretary Rubio point-blank if he had been present at multiple meetings where President Trump had fallen asleep.

Rubio flatly denied the claim, stating, “I’ve never seen him fall asleep. On the contrary, the guy doesn’t sleep, which is a big problem ’cause he calls me at two in the morning, he calls me at five in the morning, and you know, I like to sleep a little bit, maybe not 12 hours, but at least six —”

Lieu immediately responded, "You are literally talking about issues of war and peace, and Donald Trump is sleeping right next to you. If Donald Trump cannot stay awake at these important meetings where the cameras are rolling, imagine what he’s like when the cameras are not there."

"So I’m gonna ask you, have you been at classified meetings where Donald Trump has fallen asleep or had trouble staying awake?”

The California Democrat, who has been relentless in calling out the POTUS for various crimes and misdemeanors, including allegations of rape as seen in the Jeffrey Epstein files, presented a series of three broadcast video clips to counter the Secretary of State's defense.

Lieu introduced a second angle from a Cabinet meeting, alongside a third international news broadcast. The final clip highlighted Trump visibly "fighting sleep" during a solemn public appearance at a Memorial Day ceremony.

Despite the footage played on the screens, Rubio doubled down on his statements, insisting that the clips did not actually prove the president was dozing.

He dismissed the line of questioning as "absurd and ridiculous," shifting the focus to criticize the cognitive health of former President Joe Biden and asserting that Trump works "inhumane hours.”

On the Thursday, June 4 episode of Morning Joe, co-host Willie Geist played the exchange and clarified that the POTUS doesn’t spend all night working but instead sends out a storm of tweets on his Truth Social app.

Lieu concluded his segment by accusing Rubio of "consistently lying to Congress" to protect his boss. He tied the incident to broader national security and transparency concerns, noting that Trump had not been seen in public for eight days before the hearing, and demanded that the White House come clean regarding the president's medical fitness and ongoing cognitive tests.

“So you’re lying again? You’re lying consistently to Congress. You’re lying to Congress, Secretary Rubio,” Lieu said.

“Instead of holding North Korean–style Cabinet meetings where everyone goes around the room kissing Donald Trump’s a-s, I’m gonna ask you to come clean with the American people and the White House, as well: There’s something wrong with Donald Trump’s health or cognitive abilities. 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,” he concluded.

Although the POTUS eventually reemerged in the Oval Office later on Wednesday, speculation about his failing health is swirling following his disappearance after his latest physical exam at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

While a White House physician released a memorandum stating Trump remains in "excellent health" and is "fully fit to carry out all duties,” medical experts and the public are dubious of his fitness for the office.

On June 3, CNN medical analyst and cardiologist Dr. Jonathan Reiner called on the White House to make the president's doctor available to the press.

Citing a prolonged public absence and lingering questions following the president's physical examination, Reiner posted on X, “With lingering concerns following the president's recent physical exam, and the president's prolonged absence from the public eye, the White House should make available the president's physician to answer questions from the press.”