President Donald Trump’s fast-paced days and sleepless nights seem to suggest that he knows the clock is ticking, according to a veteran White House correspondent.
On a new episode of The Daily Beast Podcast, ABC News’ Jonathan Karl joined a chorus of officials and reporters who have flagged the 79-year-old’s unusual lifestyle—and why “the guy actually seems to have a hell of a lot of energy.”
“He doesn’t sleep. I don’t know how he does it,” Karl told host Joanna Coles. “He’s taking calls late at night. I would find that the best time to reach him if I wanted to call him during the campaign was either late at night—far later than you would ever call most other people—and very early in the morning. I mean, I would talk to him sometimes before seven, and he’s already up. He’s already watching television.”
“He’s constantly—constant energy, constant activity, and he’s almost acting like a guy that feels like he’s running out of time,” he went on. “Look, he’s 79 years old. He doesn’t really exercise. His diet isn’t exactly the model diet. At some point, all the speculation about his health will be true. I just won’t be the one speculating on it.”
Administration officials have repeatedly touted Trump’s lack of sleep as a testament to his work ethic, despite experts advising adults to get seven to nine hours of shut-eye. The National Institute on Aging warns that insufficient sleep can lead to health problems in older adults.
National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard has described the president, who has just over three years left in office, as “absolutely tireless,” while Vice President JD Vance said Trump “doesn’t have an off switch.”
“None of us can keep up with him, we always joke,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in September. “None of us know when he sleeps. He’s working all the time and it’s just constant for him.”
It’s not just high-ranking officials struggling to keep up with the president’s odd sleeping schedule. CNN star anchor Kaitlan Collins said she does “not really” sleep much thanks to her role as chief White House correspondent.
But Trump’s lack of sleep may be wearing him down. The president was visibly trying to stay awake during White House events in July and October. Earlier this month, he appeared to nod off during a press conference at the Oval Office.
The dozy episodes, coupled with photos of his bruised hands, swollen ankles, and a mystery MRI, have all stirred wild speculation about the state of the president’s health.
It doesn’t help that Trump’s diet is largely made up of Diet Coke and McDonald’s, and that he sees exercise as “misguided,” save for a weekly game of golf.
In October, White House physician Sean Barbabella said the president’s cardiac age “was found to be approximately 14 years younger than his chronological age” after Trump underwent a follow-up medical evaluation just six months after his annual physical.
The White House shot down speculations about the president’s health in a statement to the Daily Beast.
“Wow, more baseless opining about President Trump’s health,” White House spokesperson Kush Desai said. “Here are the facts: President Trump is a champion-level golfer who, after securing multiple trade and peace deals on a multi-day trip to Asia, came home to immediately greet trick-o-treaters at the White House. This level of energy and vitality is unmatched by any of the Daily Beast’s feeble interns.”
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