Former US President Donald Trump appears to have dozed off in the courtroom the day before the criminal trial against him in the hush money case for adult film star Stormy Daniels began, The New York Times reports, according to UNN.
Details
The former US president reportedly "showed signs of irritation from time to time, but seemed to fall asleep before waking up again.
"Trump appeared both irritated and tired Monday morning as his lawyers and prosecutors discussed pretrial motions before jury selection in the criminal case," the publication says.
Even as the judge was hearing arguments on last-minute issues in a criminal case that "threatens to cancel his presidential bid, Trump appeared to doze off several times" and "his head fell to his chest.
"The former president's chief lawyer, Todd Blanch, handed him the tapes for several minutes before Trump appeared to wake up abruptly and notice them," the publication points out.
According to the BBC, Trump became the first US president in history to stand trial in a criminal case.
The process, which can take more than a month, began with jury selection. Within the first few minutes, about half of the candidates (50 out of 96) were dismissed after claiming that they could not be fair and impartial.
The remaining potential jurors were asked many questions, including about their news and book reading habits. A total of 12 people (plus six alternates) were to be selected.
Трамп перед судом у Нью-Йорку заявив пресі про політичні переслідування15.04.24, 19:34
After the hearing, which lasted about seven hours, Trump once again criticized Judge Juan Merchant. "It looks like we're going to have a problem with him," he told reporters.
At the beginning of the hearing, Merchant rejected the defense's motion to recuse himself, which was his second. Trump's lawyers urged Merchant to recuse himself from the case, arguing that his daughter's work at a political consulting firm with Democratic clients created a conflict of interest.
In addition to dozens of journalists, both Trump's opponents and supporters gathered outside the courthouse. Some of the people who gathered to support the former president were wearing a prison photo of Trump taken last summer in Georgia, when he formally surrendered to the authorities. A truck with the flag of the former president's campaign drove around the courthouse. Dozens of the former president's opponents lined up, holding a banner that read "No one is above the law.
Addendum
Trump is accused of trying to hide the fact that he paid porn actress Stormy Daniels $130,000 before the 2016 presidential election, which he won.
Strictly speaking, the mere fact of payment is not a violation. However, when Trump reimbursed his lawyer for the money he spent, it was documented as a payment for legal fees.
The New York State Prosecutor's Office argues that this act can be seen as falsification of financial documents by Trump, which, in turn, can be qualified as a criminal offense.