However, Mr Trump insists he’s not actually falling asleep and there’s another reason for his behaviour. He gave the four-word response to New York Magazine: “It’s boring as hell.” The 79-year-old added: “I’m going around a room, and I’ve got 28 guys — the last one was three and a half hours.

“I have to sit back and listen, and I move my hand so that people will know I’m listening. I’m hearing every word, and I can’t wait to get out.”

White House officials were also quick to defend Mr Trump, with staff secretary Will Scharf calling it “thinking”, “not dozing”. He said: “It’s not dozing. Sometimes if he’s thinking about something ‒ and I made that mistake at first too ‒ he adopts a pose.

“He leans back or leans forward a little bit, and he either closes his eyes or looks down ‒ because he often takes notes in his lap.”

Press secretary Karoline Leavitt called it “actively listening” and claimed that even elite members of the military struggle to keep up with the president’s work schedule.

She said: “The Marine sentries who stand outside the Oval Office, they had to request more staff and bring up more Marines because the president is in the Oval Office so much.”

Among the details that have sparked health fears for Mr Trump, observers have noted concerning physical signs of Mr Trump’s age, including dark bruises on his hands, and swollen ankles linked to chronic venous insufficiency.

Despite concerns for his health, Mr Trump’s official medical report claims he remains in exceptional health with strong neurological and physical performance.