MSNBC's Molly Jong-Fast Jokingly Defends Trump After Apparent Nod-Off
Commentator quipped that Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick was 'very, very boring' after Trump appeared to fall asleep during a White House event.
MSNBC commentator Molly Jong-Fast offered a sarcastic defense of Donald Trump after the former president was accused of falling asleep during a White House event on Monday. The event, held at 2 p.m. to announce plans for a $15 billion steel mill in Iowa, saw Trump with his eyes closed in footage that circulated widely.
Jong-Fast, 48, reacted to the clips by quipping on X, "In Trump's defense, Howard is very, very boring." Her comment riffed on Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who was speaking about domestic steel production in the video.
The 14-second footage was shared by a rebooted 2024 campaign X account associated with Kamala Harris. The full White House feed shows Trump repeatedly reopening his eyes and speaking to attendees.
Despite Jong-Fast's sarcastic defense, many politicians and commentators were quick to accuse Trump of falling asleep. Trump himself had revived his nickname for President Joe Biden, "Sleepy Joe," during the meeting, which prompted a jab from Hunter Biden, who posted over an unflattering still of Trump, "Sleepy who?"
California Governor Gavin Newsom's press office also posted on X, "President McConnell is looking great," referencing recent health struggles of 84-year-old Senator Mitch McConnell.
Liberal commentator Brian Krassenstein wrote, "I have no doubt in my mind that Donald Trump fell asleep multiple times today. He’s just tired, just like we’re all tired of him." Aaron Rupar tweeted, "Trump is struggling to stay awake on camera."
This is not the first time Jong-Fast has cast doubt on Trump's ability to stay alert. On September 18, she posted on Threads, "So sleepy," in reaction to footage of a tired-looking Trump with his eyes closed. After critics accused Trump of dozing at a September 11th ceremony, Jong-Fast wrote on X, "It’s weird that the president keeps falling asleep in the middle of the day, but it’s even weirder that this isn’t more of a scandal."
When Trump appeared with his eyes closed during an event with travel industry executives on September 2, Jong-Fast proclaimed on Threads, "Is anyone worried that the president can’t stay awake?"
A White House spokesperson, Davis Ingle, told the Daily Mail on Tuesday, "Anyone claiming the President was asleep is lying." Ingle added, "President Trump’s sharpness, unmatched energy, and historic accessibility stand in stark contrast to what we saw during the last administration when Democrats and the legacy media intentionally covered up Joe Biden’s serious mental and physical decline from the American people. President Trump is the sharpest and most accessible President in American history who is working nonstop to solve problems and deliver on his promises, and he remains in excellent health."
Jong-Fast hosts the political podcast "Fast Politics with Molly Jong-Fast" and previously wrote an op-ed for The New York Times about the stigma female patients face regarding plastic surgery, detailing her own recent face- and neck-lift.