Trump's trial begins: Allegations, dozing claims and a fight for fairness
In the United States, a historic trial has gotten underway. Former President Donald Trump is facing charges related to concealing hush money payments to porn actress Stormy Daniels before the 2016 elections. CNN reported that Trump seemed to be nodding off during his trial.
16 April 2024 17:12
On Monday, the first criminal proceeding occurred, with Donald Trump present as the defendant. According to CNN, Trump dozed off during his trial.
- He looked like he was nodding off and at one point in a pretty true tell that he was falling asleep, his head nodded down and then he sort of jolted back up at one point, - an American journalist Susanne Craig on MSNBC reported.
Before the trial officially started, Donald Trump showed up at the court building in Manhattan. Before arriving, the former president released a series of posts on his social media profiles voicing his displeasure with the trial, branding it "rigged."
Trump dissatisfied with the judge
Trump, who has openly criticized the trial on multiple occasions, also claimed he would "fight for the freedom of 325 million Americans" in court. He reiterated these accusations on location, in front of the assembled journalists.
The former U.S. president voiced his dissatisfaction with the "unconstitutional" ban on discussing the judge, his family, and witnesses in the case. This ban came after Trump made a series of remarks targeting these individuals. Trump's lawyers filed a motion for Judge Juan Merchan to recuse himself, but it was immediately dismissed.
Unprecedented trial
The trial, a first of its kind in the history of the United States, involves 34 charges filed last year by New York District Attorney Alvin Bragg. The prosecution alleges that Trump wrongly described expenses incurred during the 2016 election campaign for the hush money payment to Stormy Daniels as legal service payments. Daniels was paid £95,000 shortly before the elections through Trump's then-lawyer, Michael Cohen.
This trial marks the first criminal trial against a former U.S. president. It started with selecting 18 jurors (12 main and 6 alternates) from over 500 New York residents summoned by the court. Presiding Judge Juan Merchan will ask them a series of questions to ascertain their ability to remain impartial jurors. Questions cover involvement in organizations, demonstrations, or employment within Trump's businesses.
Trump's legal team and the former president himself maintain that the predominance of Democratic voters in New York leaves him with no chance of a fair trial in Manhattan. Thus, they are attempting to change the trial's location.
