Donald Trump has spent most of his adult life in the limelight. In a chilly New York City courtroom this week, a closed-circuit camera provided the brightest light he’s ever stood before.
Even during his presidency and his raucous rallies, Trump’s every move has not been as closely watched as during his first appearance in Manhattan to begin the hush-hush trial. Every smile, turn, glance and sneer he made in the courtroom was chronicled by reporters and broadcast to the world to offer a glimpse or glimpse of how he handled the events of the case — the first criminal case involving a former president.
But behind every frown, whisper or even yawn, Trump’s team sees a clear message that the presumptive GOP nominee has the opportunity to convey: Intervention. The goal? Convince the American people that the 34 false business records he’s facing are a fraud to hurt his election chances this fall.
“President Trump has proven he will remain defiant in the face of this unprecedented political law, and it’s clear that his support from the American people will only grow as they look to Joe Biden.” [Manhattan District Attorney] Alvin Bragg and the Democrats staged this bogus show trial six months before the election,” Trump spokeswoman Carolyn Leavitt said.
Central thesis One of the charges, Bragg alleges, is that Trump falsified records to conceal a $130,000 payment to former lawyer Michael Cohen that he paid to veteran film actor Stormy Daniels shortly before the 2016 presidential election. In 2006, he said that he had sex with Trump. (Trump denies sleeping with Daniels, but has admitted paying off Cohen, who was indicted on federal campaign finance charges in 2018 over the payment.)
Trump has pleaded not guilty to the charges and could face up to four years in prison if convicted.
Much of the week’s proceedings revolved around jury selection, with Trump listening to prospective jurors being questioned about their media diets, their views on Trump’s presidency and their ability to give him a fair trial. Some of them even pushed as an alternate juror who was questioned about past social media posts, such as a 2020 social media post in which he called Trump a “devil and a sociopath.” (He was fired.)
In Manhattan, New York City, where he lost by 70 points in 2020, Trump did not find the answer of most of the judges to be satisfactory and at many points he looked at individuals. Nevertheless, as the full jury and alternate jurors were selected, Trump’s ears perked up as the nominees watched Fox News or otherwise made comments he deemed favorable.
On Friday, he muttered to a lawyer sitting next to him with his arms crossed, saying one prospective juror made him look “very selfish and self-serving.” But the prosecution smiled as it told jurors that some witnesses had “what you might consider a bit of baggage”.
In court Tuesday, Trump was admonished by Judge Juan Merchan for his behavior toward prospective jurors, Merchan told Trump and his attorney, Todd Blanche, “I’m not going to intimidate any jurors in this courtroom. I want to clear this crystal.”
Merchan said he heard Trump say something in the direction of the jury and “growl” and “point” at him.
But during the week, nothing garnered more attention than speculation that Trump had fallen asleep, closed his eyes for long periods of time, and fallen asleep. This was not an isolated incident, he sat with his eyes closed at least once every day he was in court.
Trump ignored questions about whether he slept in the hallway. but posted on his Truth Social platform Friday’s trial, which could last for weeks, is “a Long, Fake, Endurance Contest involving Evil, Crooked People who want to DESTROY OUR COUNTRY.”
Biden’s campaign seized on potential snooze to have fun In Trump. Campaign seemed to enjoy it particularly Years after the 77-year-old Trump called him “Sleepy Don,” he referred to the 81-year-old Biden as “Sleepy Joe.”
In a statement, James Singer, a spokesman for the Biden campaign, called out the investigation for Trump’s connivance but otherwise did not address the former president’s actions in court, instead pointing to the sitting president’s tour of Pennsylvania this week – a rally. steelworkers and stops at popular Keystone State convenience chains Sheetz and WaWa.
“Our campaign and the president are about the American people — not the trials and tribulations of Donald Trump,” Singer said. “We also don’t sleep on the fact that campaigns are being won by a candidate who is focused on fighting for the American people — not distracted by his grievances or his quest for revenge and revenge.”
“We’re proud of the week we’ve had,” Singer continued, “You’d have to ask the Trump campaign if they’re proud of their campaign.”
But Trump’s campaign sees the attention on his court appearances as a boon, expressing optimism that the difficult jury selection process will awaken voters to the main point Trump and his allies have made about the case against him: that it is illegal. Moreover, the endless media coverage Trump has received this week has overshadowed Biden’s long-reported trip to a key battleground state this week, another victory in the eyes of the Trump team.
Trump has been more vocal outside of court, saying on his Truth Social platform that he believes he was “railroaded” or calling the case “ridiculous” when addressing the press this week. (He also reiterated his concerns about how othersdon’t freeze” was the courtroom.)
“Donald Trump has made it clear that the Bragg indictment is politically motivated,” said Garrett Ventry, a GOP strategist who supports Trump. “His stone coldness in court shows his opposition to the case, and his creative press carries out this strategy outside the court. “Before, no presidential candidate until Trump failed to turn the indictments into a failure in the voting.”
There are reminders that Trump may not be able to act as he does on the domestic court. At one point on Thursday, Trump took out his phone while sitting at the defense table and appeared angry after his lawyer told him to put it down.
Finally, most of the proceedings were secular in nature. That same day, Trump yawned as Merchan read the jury instructions. For the most part, Trump seems resigned to his new reality: court appearance after court appearance in the coming weeks.