Yesterday was quite the day in the criminal courts building in Manhattan. It is extremely rare, if not altogether unheard of, for a criminal defendant to nod off during his own trial. Considering what’s at stake, loss of personal liberty, most people are not only wide awake, their hearts are pounding and they’re stressed to the max. Not so with one Donald John Trump. That defendant was napping yesterday and then he repeated the performance today. There is a school of thought about what this means for a second Trump term. Plus, and this is where it gets decidedly strange, Trump’s lawyer keeps talking about him losing the 2020 election. What’s up with that?
Trump is sitting at the defense table the courtroom, as his attorneys mill about. Attys Todd Blanche and Emil Bove are whispering in Trump’s ear.
— Frank G. Runyeon (@frankrunyeon) April 16, 2024
Justice Merchan takes the bench.
— Frank G. Runyeon (@frankrunyeon) April 16, 2024
Donald Trump's attorney Tood Blanche has just now — twice — referred to "when President Trump lost the election."
Trump did not react.
Context: Attempt to quesiton/nix a juror who said they could be impartial but posted about celebrations in Manhattan after 2020 election.
— Frank G. Runyeon (@frankrunyeon) April 16, 2024
Trump did not react in court right at that moment, which is good for him, but he has taken out all his angst on social media, as always.
“LEGAL ASSAULT ON AMERICA” pic.twitter.com/mDatq1tSkZ
— Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) April 16, 2024
And here’s another. Expect plenty of these. Trump’s the hero of right-wing media now, staging an entirely different version of the reality that is taking place in the actual courthouse.
— Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) April 16, 2024
Two different versions of reality are being spun off the same facts. This is not the sign of a healthy culture and that’s putting it mildly. Back in the Watergate era, which was an intense time in our history, we may have had a different version or two on what the facts meant, but at least we were in agreement as to what the facts WERE. That is no longer the case.
Trump supporters were interviewed in the streets yesterday and they were confused over the facts. One woman said, “A lot of men use prostitutes.” We don’t doubt that. And that’s not what this case is about. This case is about hiding the transaction and mischaracterizing it in order to influence the results of an election. But a lot of Trump supporters don’t know anything that basic and they’re not going to learn it listening to Newsmax and Fox News.
We’re in a world of hurt here. Again, I hope that Judge Merchan, the district attorney, and all the lawyers and witnesses and especially the jurors exercise extreme caution. This situation is explosive. And as to what all this means for a second term for Trump, the situation is pretty clear: he doesn’t have it going on mentally to do any job, let alone one of the most challenging in the world. Trump is able to suit up and show up and then nod off. It isn’t going to be any different if he gets back into office.
He’ll still be golfing. That’s what he can handle these days. The actual government will be run by Elise Stefanik or whomever gets chosen to be VP. We will find ourselves back in the Bush/Cheney era, except on steroids.
Trump never had any interest in government and that has not changed. He wanted the fame, prestige and the ceremonial aspects of the job of president. He was quoted as saying, after Obama briefed him, “I didn’t know there was so much work involved.” If Trump gets back in, he will be the figurehead for a cabal of the worst people in this country and they are the ones who will be pulling the levers of government. America, as we know it, will be done.
If this child killing fascist gets the power back…think Germany in the 30s prior to the extermination of 11 million people. Anyone who believes different is a goddamn fool, as were the Germans thinking nazis were just a small band of lunatics. Never underestimate EVIL.
trump doesn’t have it going on mentally to be pr*sident and he never did. This is not new. His incompetence was a very bright spot light and it shined for all the world to see.
You would think his cult would watch him fall asleep in court and maybe think “hmmm, he calls President Biden “sleepy Joe”?” Normal people would, and have, spotted the hypocrisy. Nope, not the cult. They notice “men use prostitutes”. Well, I guess that is fair–he’s married to one. Or did they not mean the whore who married him for his money?
Just curious but how will his cult watch him fall asleep in court when there are no TVs in the court to show that?
As for the “prostitute” bit, I’d like to know if the interviewer responded to the woman, “Well, that may be true but that’s not what the case is about. It’s about Trump’s covering up paying the prostitute–possibly with campaign funds–and then denying he did so.”