By Allan Smith -
NBC News
Donald Trump has spent most of his adult life seeking the center of attention. This week, inside a bitterly cold New York courtroom, a closed-circuit camera provides him with possibly the brightest light he can access.
Not even during his astonishing presidency or in his raucous rallies have his movements been followed as meticulously as during his first appearances in Manhattan for the start of his trial for secret payments. Every grimace, look and sneer he made in the courtroom was recorded by journalists and broadcast to the world to offer at least a glimpse or small idea about how he was dealing with the case, the first criminal trial involving a former president.
But behind every frown, whisper or even yawn, Trump's team sees a clear message that the presumptive GOP nominee has an opportunity to convey: defiance. The objective? Convince the American people that the 34 counts of falsifying business records he faces are a sham to hurt his electoral chances this fall.
“President Trump has demonstrated that he will remain defiant in the face of this unprecedented political war, and it is clear that his support from the American people will only grow as they watch [President] Joe Biden, [Manhattan District Attorney] Alvin Bragg and "The Democrats are putting on this false show trial six months before the elections," said Karoline Leavitt, Trump's spokesperson.
The central thesis of the accusations, according to Bragg, is that Trump falsified records to conceal that he reimbursed his former lawyer Michael Cohen for $130,000 paid to adult film actress Stormy Daniels just before the 2016 presidential election, a step taken to silence her possible allegation that
she had a sexual encounter with Trump in 2006
. (Trump denies having an intimate relationship with Daniels, but has acknowledged paying Cohen, who pleaded guilty in 2018 to federal campaign finance charges related to the payment.)
Trump has pleaded not guilty to the charges and, if convicted, could face up to four years in prison.
Most of the week's court proceedings included jury selection, with Trump listening as potential jurors were questioned about their media consumption habits, their views on Trump's presidency and their ability to judge him fairly. Some were even pressed about past social media posts, such as a potential alternate juror who was questioned about a 2020 message calling Trump “the devil and a sociopath.” (He was dismissed).
In Manhattan, a New York district where he lost by 70 points in 2020,
Trump found many of the jurors' answers unsatisfactory
, and at several points stared at some people. However, the jury was selected along with alternates. Trump also pricked up his ears when jury candidates made reference to watching Fox News or making comments that he viewed favorably.
The former foreman crossed his arms Friday and muttered something to a lawyer sitting next to him as a prospective juror described him as apparently “very selfish and self-serving.” But Trump smiled when prosecutors pointed out to jurors that some witnesses he will call “have what you might consider some baggage.”
Trump was reprimanded by Judge Juan Merchan on Tuesday for his behavior toward potential jurors. Merchan told Trump and his attorney, Todd Blanche: “I will not allow any juror to be intimidated in this room. “I want to make this very clear.”
Merchan said she had heard Trump say something in the direction of a female juror and had been “mumbling” and “gesturing” toward her.
But nothing that happened during the week attracted more attention than the fact that Trump appeared to sleep, closing his eyes for long periods, leading to speculation that he had fallen asleep. This was not an isolated event; the former president sat with his eyes closed at least once every day he was in court.
Trump ignored questions in the hallways about whether he was napping
, but he did post on his Truth Social platform on Friday that the trial, which could drag on for weeks, “is a long, rigged, drag race, [in which I'm dealing with disgusting and crooked people who want to DESTROY OUR COUNTRY.”
The Biden campaign took advantage of the possible postponement to mock Trump. The campaign seemed to especially enjoy calling him “Sleepy Don,”
after
years in which Trump, 77, mocked Biden, 81, as “
Sleepy
Joe .” .
In a statement, Biden campaign spokesman James Singer mocked Trump for appearing to have gotten some sleep but otherwise did not address the former president's actions in court, instead promoting the Trump's tour. sitting president of Pennsylvania this week, noting his rally with steelworkers and stops at popular Keystone State convenience chains Sheetz and WaWa.
“Our campaign and the president are focused on the American people, not the travails of Donald Trump,” Singer said. “Nor do we take away the focus on the fact that campaigns are won by the candidate who remains focused on fighting for the American people, and not distracted by their own grievances or quest for revenge.”
“We're proud of the week we've had
,” Singer continued, “you'll have to ask the Trump campaign if they're happy with theirs.”
But Trump's campaign sees the focus on his court appearances as an advantage, and expressed optimism that the difficult jury selection process will awaken voters to the broad points Trump and his allies have made about the case in their con: that it is illegitimate. What's more, the endless media coverage Trump received this week overshadowed Biden's much-hyped trip through a key state in the battle for the White House, another victory in the eyes of the Trump team.
Trump has been able to express himself more outside of court, posting on his Truth Social platform his belief that he is being “framed” or calling the case “ridiculous” when addressing the media this week. (He also echoed others' concerns about how “icy” the courtroom was.)
“Donald Trump has made it clear that Bragg's accusation is politically motivated,” said Garrett Ventry, a Trump-aligned Republican Party strategist. “Her stony coldness toward him in his court demonstrates his defiance to the case, and his creative conversations with the press outside of court reinforce that strategy.” “Never has a presidential candidate successfully turned accusations into poll gains, until Trump.”
Trump cannot act the same inside the court as he does outside
. On Thursday, Trump pulled out his phone while he sat at the defense table and appeared grumpy after his attorney told him to put it away.
Ultimately, much of the proceedings have been mundane. That same day, Trump yawned as Merchan read instructions to the jury. Overall, Trump seems resigned to his new reality: appearance after appearance for weeks.