Former President Donald Trump addressed his body language in the courtroom of his hush money payment trial on Tuesday following reports that he appeared to be sleeping throughout legal proceedings.
"They're keeping me in a courtroom, that's freezing by the way, in a courtroom all day long while he's (President Joe Biden) out there campaigning. That's probably an advantage because he can't campaign. Nobody knows what he's doing. He can't put two sentences together," he said.
He continued: "He's out campaigning, and I'm here in a courtroom sitting here...sitting up as straight as I can all day long because you know what, it's a very unfair situation."
The Context
Trump is facing trial in New York City on 34 counts of falsifying business records related to a hush money payment allegedly made to adult film actor Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 presidential election. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg alleged the payment was meant to prevent her from speaking publicly about her claims of having an affair with the former president.
Trump has denied having an affair with Daniels and pleaded not guilty to all criminal charges. He maintains his innocence and has accused Bragg and other prosecutors of targeting him for political purposes, criticizing the trial as a form of election interference.
What We Know
As the sixth day of the trial wrapped up Tuesday, Trump spoke to reporters again to complain he is "locked up in a courtroom" while Biden is "out there campaigning" for president. Trump and Biden have appeared to secure enough delegates to win their respective presidential primaries, though the official nominating conventions will occur over the summer.
His comments follow reports that he appeared to be sleeping during the trial.
Maggie Haberman, a journalist for The New York Times, wrote in the publication's live blog of the trial last week, "Trump appears to be sleeping. His head keeps dropping down and his mouth goes slack."
The Washington Post also reported that Trump appeared to fall asleep "several times" throughout the first week of the trial.
The report sparked a wave of ridicule toward the former president on social media.
Newsweek reached out to Trump's campaign for comment via email.
Views
His comments drew responses from many on social media platform X, formerly Twitter.
"This is something that a nice cashmere coat could solve, Donald. Of course, you might find that slightly unaffordable due to the ~$500 million you owe in court judgments since last year," wrote Ramit Sethi, the host of How to Get Rich.
The Biden-Harris HQ account mocked Trump over his remarks, posting, "A feeble Trump complains that he has to sit in 'a courtroom that's freezing, by the way.'"
"Trump seems to admit he's having trouble staying awake in court," wrote journalist Aaron Rupar.
What's Next
Court ended early on Tuesday for Passover and will resume on Thursday morning when the jury will continue to hear testimony in the case. The trial is expected to last for several weeks.
Update 4/23/2024 2:50 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
Update 4/23/2024 3:06 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
fairness meter
To Rate This Article
About the writer
Andrew Stanton is a Newsweek weekend reporter based in Maine. His role is reporting on U.S. politics and social issues. ... Read more
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
