‘President Laughed His Head Off’: Bono Recalls the Time He Snuck a Nap in Abraham Lincoln’s Bedroom After Drinking ‘Strong’ Cocktails With Obama at the White House

Singer of the group U2, Bono (Left), and Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) talk at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C. on Feb. 2, 2006. (Photo by Dennis Brack-Pool/Getty Images)

U2 frontman Bono last week revealed that he once woke up in Abraham Lincoln’s former bedroom at the White House after he and his wife, activist Ali Hewson, imbibed some powerful cocktails with then-President of the United States Barrack Obama.

“The 44th president of the United States, he mixes cocktails. He doesn’t have too many, he’s very measured,” Bono told BBC Radio 2 (transcribed by the New York Post).

The vocalist went on to explain that he is allergic to salicylates, which are found in many alcoholic drinks. According to Bono, this allergy causes his “head to swell up like a balloon” and makes him need to “fall asleep somewhere.”

That latter symptom is precisely what happened during his time with Obama.

“I had [cockails] and the wine and the allergy, and I ended up slipping out for a kip, and the president said to Ali after about 10 minutes, ‘Where’s Bono gone?,’” Bono said. “She said, ‘He’s just gone for a sleep.’ [Obama] said, ‘I’m sorry?’”

“She said, ‘He has to, he just has to go for these sleeps, he’ll be back in 10 minutes. I’ve been with him for 30 years, don’t you worry a thing about him, Mr. President. I’ll go find him.’”

So, Hewson and Obama departed together in search of Bono and found him asleep in the Lincoln bedroom.

“And there I was in Lincoln’s bedroom, asleep, fallen asleep in the bosom of Abraham himself,” Bono said. “He just woke me up and laughed. President laughed his head off.”

Bono told the New York Post that the president jokes about the incident from time to time.

“He does tell people that he drinks me under the table, he doesn’t believe the allergy thing,” Bono said. “He does make strong cocktails, though, just saying.”

Bono said that falling asleep in unusual places is a common occurrence for him. He named rock band Sonic Youth’s lighting desk, the street and car bonnets as places beyond the White House that he’s taken a nap.

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