Donald Trump appeared to briefly close his eyes during an Oval Office event on Monday, August 31, 2026, prompting speculation that the president had nodded off. Rep. Tim Burchett addressed the footage on Capitol Hill Tuesday and insisted Trump was not asleep. Burchett said Trump barely rests, pointing to early morning phone calls as evidence. The Tennessee Republican told TMZ’s Jacob that Trump has answered calls from him as early as 5 a.m., arguing that a few seconds of closed eyes should not be mistaken for a full presidential power nap. Is Donald Trump secretly running on mini naps? When asked whether Trump could be sneaking short naps throughout the day, Burchett rejected the idea that the president misses anything happening around him. “He ain’t missing nothing,” Burchett said, doubling down on his claim that Trump remains alert despite the viral footage. Burchett then escalated from Capitol Hill defense to full stable metaphor, saying he does not believe Trump “ever gets horizontal” and comparing him to horses that rarely lie down. His final assessment: Trump is a “work horse,” not a “show pony”—a memorable argument, even if the video leaves viewers free to reach their own conclusions.