Trump’s Lengthy Cabinet Meeting Marked by Fatigue, Doodling, and a Nameplate Blunder

President Donald Trump presided over a sluggish, occasionally chaotic Cabinet meeting on Tuesday that stretched beyond two hours — long enough for Trump’s eyes to droop shut, his budget director to start sketching landscapes, and his defense secretary’s nameplate to become an online punchline.

Despite the lethargic pace, the session ended with a burst of headline-making moments: Trump declared he did not want Somali immigrants in the United States, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defended a controversial September strike on a suspected drug-running boat in the Caribbean by citing the “fog of war.”

Trump opened the meeting by noting it would be the last Cabinet gathering until 2026. Though marathon, praise-filled sessions have become a hallmark of his return to office, this one had the feel of a group counting down to a holiday break. The president delivered extended remarks recycling recent policy announcements and reviving old grievances — including his false claim that he won the 2020 election.

A long meeting gets longer

Trump urged Cabinet members to “go quickly,” but most ignored the instruction.

Hegseth spoke first, lauding the administration’s move to symbolically rename the Pentagon the “Department of War,” despite Congress never approving such a change. His nameplate, however, read “ssecretary of war,” a typo that drew mockery online.

As other officials delivered lengthy updates, cameras caught Trump leaning back with his eyes sagging shut — an image that contrasted sharply with his irritation at a recent New York Times report questioning his energy levels at age 79. At one point, he slipped into the third person to insist, “Trump is sharp.”

Budget director Russell Vought, meanwhile, passed the time by doodling pastoral mountains, pine trees, and cloud formations reminiscent of Bob Ross paintings — all on official White House letterhead.

Messaging muddles on affordability

Trump dismissed Democratic warnings about rising costs as a “con job,” but several Cabinet secretaries contradicted him during their presentations.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins described economic pressures facing farmers; Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent called affordability a “crisis”; and HUD Secretary Scott Turner cited first-time homeownership as evidence the administration was tackling the issue.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrapped up the lineup, acknowledging, “I know I’m last, so I wanted to be fast — but there’s a lot to cover.”

The meeting ended shy of Trump’s previous record: a three-hour-17-minute session in August. Even Trump conceded this one was dragging. “We’re spending a lot of time in here,” he remarked.

Contentious Q&A shifts the tone

After jokingly asking reporters if they even wanted to pose questions after such a long meeting, Trump opened the floor.

Hegseth defended the September 2 follow-up strike off Venezuela, saying he saw no survivors in the water and that the target was already burning. He admitted he “didn’t stick around” after the initial attack.

In another exchange, Trump said he did not want Somali immigrants in the US, arguing they should remain in their war-torn country to “fix” it and accusing them of relying excessively on US aid. Cabinet members applauded the comment. Moments later, reporters were ushered out as Trump slapped the table, pushed back his chair, and thumped Hegseth on the shoulder.