A Democratic strategist is expressing concerns about who is really in control at the White House and lists reasons it may not be Donald Trump.
She highlights several public moments that suggest the president might not be fully in command. On The Daily Beast Podcast, Symone Sanders-Townsend pointed out a viral incident in the Oval Office where President Donald Trump seemed to nod off. She believes this awkward moment reveals a more serious issue.
“When I saw that, it raised questions about the structure of this White House. Who is actually in charge?” Sanders-Townsend said, continuing: “This can’t be the first time the president fell asleep. How do I know? Because no one seemed to care.”
During a White House event on November 6 focused on reducing prices for weight-loss drugs, cameras caught Trump with his eyes closed for an extended period. He sat still with heavy eyelids while officials talked beside him. The moment only ended when a man behind Trump collapsed, causing a brief commotion before the event continued. The White House claimed Trump was not sleeping, but several media outlets noted the visual signs of exhaustion.
For Sanders-Townsend, the sleepy optics are just one piece of evidence. She mentioned instances where aides appeared to re-explain the executive orders presented to Trump. “Is this the first time you are hearing about this? Did the president approve this beforehand? Who is signing off on the details of what’s happening in this White House?” she asked on the podcast. Her argument focuses on the structure, not the individual. She suggests that the team around Trump is doing more than just their jobs, and that aides might be stepping into decision-making roles.
If Trump doesn’t know who he is….
1. WHO PARDONED HIM?
2. WHO REALLY SIGNED THE PRESIDENTIAL PARDON?
3. If Trump can’t remember something he just signed, HOW GONE IS THE PRESIDENT MENTALLY?
4. This is worse than anything they said about Biden!pic.twitter.com/iB0ei9tjOZ
— Don Winslow (@donwinslow) November 3, 2025
Then there’s Stephen Miller, the deputy chief of staff has frequently used first-person pronouns to describe strong federal actions, which raised concerns for Sanders-Townsend. “When I worked at the White House, we didn’t say ‘I’ or ‘we,’ we said ‘the president’ and ‘the vice president,’” she noted, then asked directly, “Are you making the decisions, Stephen Miller, about these strike force teams? How much does the president know about what’s going on?”
Recent reports support why this language is troubling. In an October interview, Miller talked about sending federal law enforcement and the National Guard into a quiet Southern town and used first-person language when he said, “If I put federal law enforcement and the National Guard in a nice sleepy Southern town, will anyone riot?” Analysts say this phrasing suggests the level of influence staff may possess in Trump’s White House.
The White House has pushed back against concerns about fitness and control, pointing to the president’s busy schedule. However, the series of incidents has created a feedback loop. Each event, from Oval Office fatigue to Miller’s statements, adds to the impression that aides are setting the agenda. The cumulative effect is something Sanders-Townsend believes deserves attention.
“These are all questions that should be asked,” she said, adding that Biden faced continuous scrutiny over similar slips when he was in office. “If Biden had dozed off during an Oval Office event, it would be the leading news story for three weeks.”
There’s a difference between staff operating within their roles and staff taking charge. Sanders-Townsend argues we may be heading toward the latter situation. Defenders of the president can point to denials and his long hours, which are valid points, but the evidence captured on tape is difficult to dismiss. The language from one of his top aides is even harder to ignore. That’s why this question carries so much weight and lingers after the cameras turn off: Who is truly in charge here?
