Trump Shocks Entire Courtroom With What He Was Caught Doing During Trial

New York Times journalist Maggie Haberman observed that during the early stages of his hush money trial in New York, former President Donald Trump seemed to have drifted off, reminiscent of a tedious school lecture. As the trial progresses over the coming weeks—starting with jury selection today—it's expected to draw global attention.

Given the large pool of potential jurors, the jury selection process is anticipated to be lengthy, potentially exceeding two weeks. This phase is crucial in laying the groundwork for subsequent arguments and testimonies.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has brought charges against Trump related to a $130,000 payment made by Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen to adult film star Stormy Daniels. Allegedly, this payment was to ensure Daniels' silence about an affair she claimed to have had with Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign.

Records indicate that Trump made payments to Cohen under false pretenses of legal expenses. Additionally, Trump is pursuing an unusual legal strategy by seeking direct participation in sidebar discussions, a move uncommon for defendants in criminal cases.

Haberman, reporting for the New York Times via live tweets, noted a moment of apparent fatigue from the former president: 'Trump appears to be sleeping.' She elaborated on this observation during an interview with CNN's Jake Tapper, describing how 'his mouth goes slack and his head keeps dropping down.'

During her CNN appearance, Haberman drew comparisons to previous trials where Trump seemed more engaged. She remarked, 'There have been other moments in other trials, like the E.G. Carroll trial in January, where he appeared very still and seemed as if he might be sleeping, but then he would move.'

In the New York Times, Haberman wrote :

Even as a judge was hearing arguments on last-minute issues in a criminal case that centers on salacious allegations and threatens to upend his bid for the presidency, Mr. Trump appeared to nod off a few times, his mouth going slack and his head drooping onto his chest.

The former president’s lead lawyer, Todd Blanche, passed him notes for several minutes before Mr. Trump appeared to jolt awake and notice them.

At other times, Mr. Trump whispered and exchanged notes with Mr. Blanche. He sat motionless while his own words from the infamous “Access Hollywood” tape — on which bragged about grabbing women’s genitals — were read from a transcript by a prosecutor.

At times, Mr. Trump’s emotions were characteristically on display. He smirked and scoffed, and appeared frustrated when the judge in the case, Juan M. Merchan, did not immediately agree that he could miss court to attend the graduation of his youngest son, Barron.

Judge Merchan threatened to eject Trump from the courtroom or perhaps put him in jail on Monday if he continued to cause disruptions. Trump seems to get the caution. The only time he seemed to relax was when he laughed at a social media post he had made mocking his longtime fixer, Michael Cohen, who was the main witness for the prosecution.