New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman said former President Trump gave her a “pretty specific stare” in court on Tuesday after she reported that the former president briefly fell asleep during the first day of his criminal trial.
Haberman reported Monday that Trump “appeared to nod off a few times” during his court appearance, “his mouth going slack and his head drooping onto his chest.”
“Trump has apparently jolted back awake, noticing the notes his lawyer passed him several minutes ago,” Haberman added a few minutes later.
Trump’s hush money trial, the first criminal trial of a former or sitting president, began Monday in Manhattan with the jury selection process. After a break, Trump stared down Haberman, according to reports in the room.
“After the thirty-some jurors remaining file out of the room for a brief afternoon break, Trump rises,” Law360 reporter Frank Runyeon wrote in the press pool report. “After the jurors leave the courtroom, he stares over at DA Alvin Bragg. Then Trump turns his eyes to the press pool.”
“As he exits, he glares at New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman for several seconds as he walks out,” the pool note reads.
Haberman discussed the “stare” in a CNN interview with Kaitlan Collins Monday evening.
“He made a pretty specific stare at me and walked out of the room,” she said of the moment.
“I want to be clear that I’ve seen lots of people fall asleep in courtrooms,” Haberman continued. “I’ve seen jurors fall asleep. I’ve seen judges fall asleep. If anyone falls asleep who’s a criminal defendant in a case, we’re going to report on it.”
She added, “But he doesn’t like when such things are reported, and I’m guessing – I don’t know – that that’s what this was about.”
Following the incident, Democratic strategists took to social media to mock the former president for seemingly nodding off during the trial.
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