Democratic strategists are roasting former President Trump on Monday for appearing to fall asleep in a New York courtroom during the first day of his hush money trial.
Trump at times during the day closed his eyes, appearing to nod off. He also would lean back in his chair motionless with his arms crossed for considerable periods, but opinions differed among the press corps about whether the former president was actually asleep.
Maggie Haberman, senior political correspondent at The New York Times, reported that Trump looked like he was sleeping and later told CNN, “He appeared to be asleep. Routinely his head would fall down.”
She added that Trump didn’t pay attention to a note that his lawyer passed him and that his “jaw kept falling on his chest and his mouth kept going slack.”
Photographers were only allowed in during the trial’s opening moments and no not appear to have captured the moments Haberman described.
Kate Bedingfield, former communications director to President Biden, wrote in response to the reporting, “Sleepy Don.”
Dan Pfeiffer, former senior adviser to President Obama, shared Haberman’s initial reporting and added, “If Trump is too old and weak to stay awake at his own criminal trial, what do you think will happen in the Situation Room?”
Obama’s 2012 campaign manager Jim Messina shared Haberman’s CNN interview and highlighted her comment: “Well, Jake, he appeared to be asleep.”
Democratic strategist Chris Jackson shared a photograph of Trump and said, “So sad.”
Others on X argued that if Biden appeared to sleep during a similar moment, it would be a major story. Leah Greenberg, co-executive director of the progressive group Indivisible, said, “you know what this means: it’s time for another round of stories about Biden’s age.”
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Additonally, journalist Jemele Hill argued, “Now had this been Biden, it would have been the lead story on every newscast and Fox News would have talked about this for weeks.”
Meanwhile, former Republican National Committee Chair Michael Steele joked, “When you’re old and on trial for falsifying official records you tire quickly. Let the man sleep but watch for that slack jaw, drooling could become a problem.”
Trump is in court for his first criminal trial in a matter involving a hush money payment made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels just before the 2016 election. The trial began on Monday with the jury selection process, which is expected to last at least several days before opening arguments begin and star witnesses take the stand.
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