In the coming weeks, Donald Trump will spend a lot of time in court. That leaves hardly any time for family or election campaigns. An analysis.
New York – Hard times lie ahead for him. This became clear on the first day of Donald Trump's trial in New York. As soon as the negotiations over the accusation of covering up hush money payments began, the ex-president is said to have fallen asleep in the dock. Maggie Haberman, among others, reported this from the courtroom on behalf of the
New York Times
.
“Mr Trump appeared to nod off several times, his mouth went slack and his head sank onto his chest,” said the journalist and biographer of the former president, describing the scene in New York. It was only when his lawyer handed him several notes that Trump was said to have woken up and woke up.
Trump falls asleep in the courtroom – the internet is having fun
It didn't take much time for the internet to poke fun at the New York scene. On Twitter (now X), hashtags like #SleepyDon and #SleepyDonald were trending in reference to “Sleepy Joe,” the nickname Donald Trump gave incumbent US President Joe Biden years ago. Trump's opponents mockingly asked whether the 77-year-old was not too old for higher office, such as the one in the White House in Washington DC.
But for Trump, the trial in New York is far from over. The negotiations due to the alleged cover-up of hush money payments against him are expected to take up to eight weeks. To do this, Trump has to be present in New York four days a week. Personal. Without exception. Even the high school graduation ceremony of his youngest son Barron Trump in Florida was not used as an excuse by the judge responsible, Juan Merchan. According to the
New York Times
, Trump greeted this decision with grins and ridicule.
Judge threatens Trump with detention
The judge also made it clear again that Donald Trump will have to restrain himself in the coming days. If, as in the past, he insults prosecutor Alvin Bragg, insults upcoming witnesses such as his ex-lawyer Michael Cohen and erotic actress Stormy Daniels, or disrupts the trial and its course, he could be excluded from it entirely. Merchan even threatened to arrest the Republican candidate for the 2024 US election.
According to reports from the US broadcaster
MSNBC,
Trump is said to have become subdued when he heard these words. Apparently the ex-president is slowly becoming aware of the limits the trial in New York will impose on his behavior in the coming weeks. On November 6th, the people of the USA will elect their president. Current polls on the US election show Joe Biden and Donald Trump close together. So now is the time to travel around the country and convince the electorate. But if you spend four out of seven days in the courtroom, you hardly have any time left for that.
Muzzle restricts Donald Trump's election campaign
Now this is not the first time that Donald Trump has been in court during his re-election campaign. This also applied to the proceedings against his company, the “Trump Organization”, and to the defamation trial against the author E. Jean Carroll. Both trials ended with heavy fines for Trump. But they didn't hurt him politically. Quite the opposite. The billionaire heir used the attention to portray himself as a victim of a left-wing conspiracy and at the same time a martyr for ordinary, hard-working Americans - successfully, as the polls showed.
But this time things could be different. Judge Merchan made it clear Monday that he would not allow Trump to attack witnesses or public officials. The legal muzzle that the 77-year-old was given is likely to limit his ability to convert the courtroom into an election arena, as he recently did. The numerous court appearances will, in turn, prevent Trump from traveling around the country and rallying his MAGA base at his famous rallies.
It's understandable, then, that these prospects are tiring for Trump. But the ex-president doesn't get a break. The trial will continue in New York on Tuesday (April 16). (
Daniel Dillman
)