NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 18: Former U.S. President Donald Trump arrives for his criminal trial as jury selection continues at Manhattan Criminal Court on April 18, 2024 in New York City. Trump was charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records last year, which prosecutors say was an effort to hide a potential sex scandal, both before and after the 2016 presidential election. Trump is the first former U.S. president to face trial on criminal charges. (Photo by Jabin Botsford-Pool/Getty Images)
On Tuesday, former President Donald Trump needed to be woken up by his lawyer, Todd Blanche, after he fell asleep during his New York hush money trial for the fourth time since the trial proceedings started.
“Trump is struggling to stay awake,” Susanne Craig, a reporter for The New York Times, wrote regarding Trump’s behavior during the trial. “His eyes were closed for a short period. He was jolted awake when Todd Blanche, his lawyer, nudged him while sliding a note in front of him.”
MSNBC legal analyst Lisa Rubin reported that the former president’s lawyers are using tricks to keep him awake.
“I guess they have tried a number of different devices,” Rubin said. “Yeah, sleeping for a lot of it. I would say they’ve tried a number of different devices to keep Trump awake. Partially in response, or what appears to be in response to collective press corps observations. So, for example, when there are sidebars, an attorney doesn’t leave his side anymore because leaving him alone means leaving him to potentially sleep. He has a stack of papers with him at all times now to go through, but neither of those things seem to have protected Trump from his own exhaustion today. More than, you know, more than not, when I looked up to see how Trump was receiving the testimony, Trump was not receiving it at all because his eyes were closed.”
According to Maggie Haberman, a reporter for The New York Times, Trump appeared to fall asleep a few times during his court appearance on April 15, the first day of the trial.
Haberman later mentioned that Trump glared at her in the courtroom after she reported that he fell asleep during the trial.
During an interview with the CNN news anchor Kaitlan Collins, Haberman discussed the event of Trump glaring at her.
“If anyone falls asleep who’s a criminal defendant in a case, we’re going to report on it,” Haberman stated that the former president “doesn’t like when such things are reported.”
On April 19, Haberman had once more noticed Trump dozing off during a hearing about the trial.
In an update posted to The New York Times’ live blogs of the trial proceedings, she wrote, “Trump appears to have fallen asleep in court again.”
She then mentioned that “it happened several times just now” since “his eyes were closed for extended periods and his head dropped down” two times.
Last week, many reporters noticed Trump nodding off during his trial.
Trump falling asleep during the proceedings led to widespread ridicule on social media all week, with Twitter hashtags like “#SleepyDon” and “DonSnorelone” trending on various occasions.
On April 19, the former president’s trial ended with Judge Juan Merchan ordering him to remain seated until the judge left.
While Merchan was reviewing the details of a contempt hearing for Trump’s constant violation of a gag order, Trump suddenly stood up, and the judge ordered him to sit back down immediately.
The former president then did as instructed. He sat down angrily until he was dismissed from court.
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