One of President Donald Trump's top aides thought a school safety meeting Monday would be a perfect time to take a quick snooze.
Photographers saw Stephen Miller rubbing his eyes during the meeting. A photographer with the European Press Agency captured Miller yawning and dropping his head. The meeting was an important one, featuring governors from around the country and members of Trump's administration discussing safety measures in the aftermath of a mass shooting at a Florida high school.
Miller's impromptu catnap suggests he's not too concerned about the situation — and his reaction didn't go unnoticed by people online.
Other users cheered Miller on. Jules Suzdaltsev, a journalist, said, "Stephen Miller falling asleep during a school safety meeting is literally the safest thing he could have done and I applaud it."
TV writer Chase Mitchell mocked the White House adviser and suggested that he can only get to sleep if he hears stories about scared children.
The deadly rampage in Parkland has ignited renewed debate about gun laws, mental illness and how to prevent future school shootings, as well as new questions about whether schools and lawmakers are doing enough to keep students safe.
Since the beginning of 2018, there have been 18 instances involving weapons on school property across the country, gun control advocacy group Everytown for Gun Safety reported. While that total includes incidents that are not considered school shootings, such as suicides, fatal and nonfatal assaults and unintentional shootings, an FBI report on "active shooters" between 2000 and 2016 found that mass shootings in the U.S. are becoming deadlier. Four of the five deadliest shootings in American history – at a Las Vegas concert (58), an Orlando nightclub (49), Virginia Tech (32), Sandy Hook Elementary School (27) and the Texas First Baptist Church (26) – happened in the last five years. The slaughter in Las Vegas, which left 59 dead and more than 500 injured in 2017, was not included in the report.
Miller has emerged as a contentious member of the Trump administration. His media appearances have been heated and controversial, and his staunchly conservative views on immigration have been highly criticized. His behavior Monday suggests he can't always be counted on to bring the same passion to the board room.
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