Secretary of State Marco Rubio has revealed a bizarre episode aboard Air Force One in which some of the nation\u2019s highest-ranking officials spent roughly 90 minutes wondering whether an unidentified passenger was sleeping \u2014 or dead.<\/p>\n
Rubio recounted the unusual incident during an appearance on the *Katie Miller Podcast*, saying it occurred while administration officials were returning from China.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe spent about 90 minutes sort of debating should we make a move?\u201d Rubio recalled.<\/p>\n
\u201cShould I call the doc?\u201d he continued. \u201cShould we deal with this?\u201d<\/p>\n
According to Rubio, the individual was sleeping in an Air Force One conference room and remained completely motionless despite considerable activity and noise around them.<\/p>\n
The officials were reluctant to intervene because of the potentially embarrassing prospect of waking someone who was simply enjoying an exceptionally deep sleep.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause it\u2019s embarrassing if you wake them up,\u201d Rubio said, imagining the person responding, \u201cOh, I was just sleeping.\u201d<\/p>\n
But the alternative was considerably more alarming.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut if they were dead, like what do you do?\u201d Rubio said. \u201cYou have a dead body on the plane.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rubio said the individual had slept through \u201ca lot of noise\u201d and did not appear to be \u201cresponding to any of the stimulus,\u201d increasing concerns among those watching the situation.<\/p>\n
He also described the person\u2019s breathing pattern as \u201cdifficult,\u201d further raising fears that something could be wrong.<\/p>\n
Despite those concerns, Rubio said officials spent approximately an hour and a half debating what to do rather than immediately waking the individual or summoning a physician.<\/p>\n
Ultimately, they didn\u2019t have to make the decision.<\/p>\n
\u201cLuckily, the person was fine,\u201d Rubio said.<\/p>\n
The secretary of state declined to identify the unusually deep sleeper, leaving one of the strangest details of the story unresolved.<\/p>\n
That secrecy quickly generated speculation and jokes on social media, including an unsupported suggestion that the mystery passenger could have been Sen. Mitch McConnell.<\/p>\n
There is no evidence supporting that claim or any of the other identities floated online, and Rubio provided no clues about who was involved.<\/p>\n
The story attracted additional attention because Rubio had recently faced questions about another sleep-related controversy involving President Donald Trump.<\/p>\n
During a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing roughly a month earlier, Democratic California Rep. Ted Lieu asked Rubio whether he had attended multiple meetings where Trump fell asleep.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve never seen him fall asleep,\u201d Rubio responded.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn the contrary, the guy doesn\u2019t sleep, which is a big problem,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Rubio said Trump\u2019s demanding schedule frequently keeps administration officials busy and noted that the president sometimes contacts him early in the morning.<\/p>\n
Lieu disputed Rubio\u2019s account and pointed to footage from a Cabinet meeting that he claimed showed Trump with his eyes closed while Rubio was speaking.<\/p>\n
\u201cSecretary Rubio, I\u2019m going to show you, in a moment, a video that shows you just lied to Congress,\u201d Lieu said.<\/p>\n
Rubio stood by his testimony that he had never personally witnessed Trump fall asleep. No formal congressional action stemming from Lieu\u2019s accusation has been reported.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the central mystery surrounding Rubio\u2019s Air Force One story remains unsolved.<\/p>\n