Alina Habba, the attorney representing former President Donald Trump, has refuted claims that Trump fell asleep during the preliminary stages of jury selection for his hush-money case.
What Happened: Habba, in an interview, stated that it was “unlikely” that Trump fell asleep in the courtroom during the first two days of his trial in Manhattan, reported The Hill.
“If anything, he’s probably brutally bored,” said Habba, according to the report. “I mean, it’s painful. They make him sit there through jury selection. The first day was procedural.”
On the question of Trump dozing off, she said, “I know him. I sat through trial after trial with him. That never happens. So President Trump is incredibly focused.”
The first of Trump’s four criminal trials began on Monday, where he is charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records related to reimbursements to his former fixer, Michael Cohen. These payments were allegedly made to adult film star Stormy Daniels to silence her about an alleged affair with Trump.
Trump is required to be present during the trial, including jury selection. Reports suggest that Trump appeared to nod off at times, closing his eyes and leaning back in his chair. However, Habba insists that Trump is “incredibly focused.”
Democrats have seized on these reports, with Kate Bedingfield, former communications director under President Joe Biden, responding to the news with the moniker “Sleepy Don.”
See Also: Mark Cuban’s $288M Wire Transfer To IRS: A Veiled Jab At Trump?
Why It Matters: This incident has been a source of amusement for Democrats, who have been taking jabs at Trump for allegedly dozing off during his trial. The press corps had differing opinions on whether Trump was actually asleep.
As the trial continues, the jury selection process has been in the spotlight, with the social media accounts of prospective candidates becoming a focal point. This incident has added another layer of intrigue to the ongoing trial.
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