Why Trump Admin Members Are Jealous JD Vance Can't Fly With The President

While we often hear about presidents jet-setting around the globe in Air Force One, not nearly as much attention is given to the way vice presidents travel. VPs get their own separate accommodations, known as Air Force Two. Although it's not Secret Service-mandated, it makes sense for the line of succession to keep Donald Trump and JD Vance apart, as well as for logistical reasons. Regardless of the rationale, Vance has no plans to question this protocol, especially since his separate ride is the envy of some of his coworkers. "They are always like, 'You're so lucky because if we go on a 20-hour trip somewhere, he does not sleep the entire time,'" Vance informed Fox News (via Daily Beast). Trump's lack of shut-eye reportedly has a cascading effect, and he makes it everyone's problem. "If he's not sleeping, if he's working, he expects everybody else to be working too," Vance added.

Some Trump staffers are more sanguine about the lack of sleep. During the frenzy of campaigning, Trump was typically scrimping by on four hours of rest, and Karoline Leavitt was dealing with this abbreviated sleep schedule during pregnancy. Luckily, at some point, she started being able to sneak in an extra one to two hours. Either way, Leavitt seems happy to adhere to her boss's wishes. "As President Trump says, 'when you love your job, when you love your life, you don't need to sleep much,' and that's what we're doing," Leavitt informed CBN in March 2025.

Even on the ground, Donald Trump has bizarre sleep habits that JV Vance has inadvertently exposed. In September 2025, Vance informed Fox News that his boss sometimes calls him at unusual hours, like the middle of the night. While this would be totally understandable in an emergency, this appears to be standard behavior for Trump. "He's got incredible energy," Vance proclaimed to USA Today in August 2025.

The president purportedly sleeps an estimated four to five hours per night on the reg. Despite Vance's positive take, Trump's lack of sleep isn't a power move. Based on the Mayo Clinic's recommendation of seven-plus hours, Trump's accruing a sleep debt of two to three hours every night. Unfortunately, ongoing sleep debt can have extensive health consequences, including cardiovascular and cognitive impacts.

While it's a myth that sleep needs decrease with age, older individuals often experience more fragmented sleep. In Trump's case, that fragmented schedule appears to be occurring during the day, including when he's working. Shots of Trump seemingly nodding off are all over social media, especially the Governor Newsom Press Office account on X, which nicknamed him "Dozy Don." In addition, The New York Times attracted Trump's ire when they reported he seems to be slowing down compared to his first term. However, they also noted that Trump's been traveling abroad more, so it's possible that the Air Force One all-nighters that Vance alluded to are catching up to him.