Reports indicated that former President Donald Trump was seemingly dozing off yet again during his criminal trial in New York City on Tuesday, though some of those actually making the reports were hesitating to make the direct accusation that he was falling asleep.
“Former President Donald Trump has closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair several times during testimony on Tuesday, according to CNN reporters in the courthouse,” said CNN in Tuesday reporting, recounting multiple examples including during testimony by banking industry figure Gary Farro, who previously did business with Michael Cohen. “At about 10:30 a.m., Trump slumped back in his chair with his eyes closed,” CNN said.
Cohen, a former Trump ally, was involved in the hush money arrangements that lie behind the criminal case against Trump, which accuses him of the falsification of business records related to repayments to Cohen for covering the funds for Stormy Daniels. He’s expected to also testify.
The reports indicating that Trump was seemingly falling asleep in court have been consistent throughout the criminal trial so far, which Trump is compelled to attend because of its specifically criminal nature. It’s led to some questions about Trump’s basic aptitude for the presidential role if he’s struggling so severely to get through a trial, and it turns a spotlight on Trump after political forces from his corner have tried so intensely to hype up supposed questions about Biden’s aptitude.
Meanwhile, presiding Judge Juan Merchan — known in local legal parlance as a Justice — also held Trump in contempt on Tuesday, ruling against him on allegations from prosecutors of violating a gag order imposed earlier by the judge himself. The judge gave Trump the maximum in financial penalties… which only worked out to $9,000 ($1,000 for each violation). In his decision, the judge specifically called out the limits under which he was operating and reiterated that jail-time remained a possibility for the future. It is, in general, a prospect for findings of contempt.
