Topline
Former President Donald Trump rejected reports that he appeared to fall asleep during his criminal hush money trial in Manhattan, claiming he had “simply close[d] my beautiful blue eyes, sometimes,” after multiple reporters in the courtroom indicated he appeared to nod off on at least three days during his high-profile trial.
Former President Donald Trump claimed he was not sleeping at his criminal hush money trial in New ... [+]
Key Facts
Trump wrote on Truth Social: “I don’t fall asleep during the Crooked D.A.’s Witch Hunt, especially not today.”
Trump also claimed in his post that he listens “intensely, and take[s] it ALL in!!!”Reporters in the courtroom, however, noticed the former president appeared to close his eyes and doze off on three separate days during his trial, where he faces 34 felony counts for allegedly falsely labeling business records stemming from a hush money payment to former adult film star Stormy Daniels leading up to the 2016 election.
The first incident came on the first day of jury selection, when reporters in the Manhattan courtroom said he appeared to doze off twice, quickly drawing mockery and sparking the nickname “Sleepy Don” from his critics, a spin on Trump’s repeated nickname for President Joe Biden.
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Key Background
Trump has routinely criticized the case against him in New York—one of four criminal indictments he has faced since launching his 2024 reelection bid—slamming the case as a “witch hunt” and claiming without evidence that it amounts to “election interference” orchestrated by Biden. Trump was indicted in Manhattan last March on 34 felony counts over an alleged reimbursement to his former fixer Michael Cohen, who admitted to paying Daniels $130,000 as a hush money payment to stay quiet on an alleged affair with Trump. While Cohen pleaded guilty in 2018 to causing an unlawful campaign contribution, Trump has maintained he committed no wrongdoing, and pleaded not guilty to all charges. Trump has denied Daniels’ affair allegations, and his attorneys have argued the payment to her was legal.
What To Watch For
Trump also faces a ruling on whether he violated the terms of his gag order in the case, which prohibits him from publicly attacking potential witnesses, jurors and counsel, as well as court staff and their family members. Trump was fined $9,000 last week for nine violations of the order following a series of posts on Truth Social. Prosecutors claimed he violated the order again by publicly discussing witness David Pecker, as well as jurors when he claimed the jury is mostly made up primarily of Democrats. If found in contempt of court, Trump faces a fine of up to $1,000 per violation and potential jail time of up to 30 days.
