Trump's boast backfires as medical expert points out mental and physical side effects

The administration backing Donald Trump may boast about his energy levels but it does not change his ailing health, a medical professional has said.

The president said just last week that he does not "sleep much" while Vice President JD Vance says other staffers struggle to keep up with the amount Trump works. Vance said that a 20-hour trip will see little in the way of sleep for the president or his team and that "if he's not sleeping, if he's working, he expects everybody else to be working too."

While this boast from the admin is made to make Trump look busy and healthy in the face of growing concerns over his health, Dr Ritz Birah has told The Mirror US that the president is far from spritely.

Seven to nine hours of sleep a night is the recommended amount "to support optimal brain function, emotional regulation and physical health" in someone Trump's age. The 79-year-old Commander in Chief has had his admin back the "off the charts" energy levels, but that is not a sign of good health, Dr Birah says.

"In the short term, insufficient sleep reliably affects attention, working memory, impulse control and decision-making," he said. "From a psychological standpoint, this means the brain becomes more reactive, less flexible and more prone to errors in judgment.

"Emotional regulation is also impaired, with increased irritability, reduced tolerance for stress and a greater likelihood of threat-based thinking. These effects are well documented, even when individuals subjectively feel alert or energised."

Further problems can be associated with a potential "sleep debt" Trump is paying, catching up on missed hours of rest through the day. Sleep debt has been associated with an "increased risk of cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders, mood disturbance and cognitive decline".

Trump last year declared he had passed a cognitive test with flying colors and also confirmed he had been taking aspirin against his doctor's orders.

In an interview with NBC, Trump confirmed he is still taking aspirin and "I don't want to change". He added, "I want that blood to be nice and thin running through my heart."