MSNBC host Chris Hayes shared a compelling theory Wednesday about President Donald Trump and his frequent public naps, arguing the MAGA leader is "the most bored man alive" with only one thing in his life that genuinely continues to "hold his interest."
Hayes on Late Night with Seth Meyers
Hayes made his case during an appearance on "Late Night with Seth Meyers" following numerous White House events that seemed to put Trump to sleep. While some critics attribute the president's nap-prone behavior to old age, Hayes offers a different explanation.
"He's the most bored dude in the history of the universe," Hayes told Meyers.
Hayes continued, "Like, when you watch him at these White House events, like, everyone makes a big deal about him falling asleep — but it's actually a state of waking boredom, where the eyes go down, it's just like, 'Ugh, I can't believe … is this event still going on?'"
Trump's Frequent Naps
Trump has fallen asleep during several press conferences and formal gatherings in recent months, fueling speculation about his health. He even dozed off next to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth during an official Cabinet meeting in December.
"There's one thing that holds his interest," said Hayes.
He continued, "There's one thing he's so interested in, he just wants to talk about it, which is the ballroom. So anytime it's like, people ask him questions about like, 'Well, you know, no oil is getting through the Strait of Hormuz.' He's like, 'Let's talk about the ballroom.'"
The Ballroom Project
Trump's war on Iran led the country to close the Hormuz Strait, through which a fifth of the world's oil passes. At least 13 U.S. military service members and more than 3,000 Iranians have died in the conflict. Trump has since increasingly talked up his ballroom project.
"He just is, like, fully becoming a construction guy again," joked Meyers.
Trump recently divulged the military is building a "massive complex" beneath the ballroom. The White House announced the ballroom project last year and described it as a $200 million effort, with Trump repeatedly claiming it would be privately funded — only for a newly released proposal to confirm Senate Republicans are seeking $1 billion from taxpayers.
While many critics have slammed the ballroom as a "vanity project," Trump recently revealed the military is building a "massive complex" beneath it. He said this was "supposed to be secret" and only came out due to "a stupid lawsuit," raising further questions from Hayes.
"That's all that's occupying him," he told Meyers. "And I do think it's become this kind of, sort of psychological safe space for him to go back to, and physical safe space for him. That's the funny thing about it too, right? He keeps saying it's the ballroom, but it's also the bunker."
Hayes concluded, "Like, what exactly are you planning, buddy?"
