While the rest of the world can’t look away while donald trumpin historic criminal trial begins in New York, the former president himself appears to be much less fascinated by the proceedings.
Jury selection began Monday at first criminal trial of a former or former presidentas he faces 34 felony charges of falsifying business records in an attempt to cover up secret payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels.
But according to some court reporters, Trump appeared to have difficulty keeping his eyes open — and at one point may have even fallen asleep.
“Trump appears to be sleeping. His head keeps dropping and his mouth goes slack.” New York Times news reporter Maggie Haberman reported.
The remark quickly inspired a new nickname for the 77-year-old former president: “Sleepy Don.”
Soon, the nickname spread like wildfire on social media.
“My theory: Trump’s legal team sedated him” Mother Jones DC Bureau Chief David Corn he wrote in X.
“Look, he’s old. The judge is stopping Sleepy Don from sleeping,” said Meidas Touch editor-in-chief Ron Filipkowski. posted.
The Lincoln Project, an anti-Trump Super PAC, he wrote that Mr. Trump had exhausted himself with his post-trial speeches about Social Truth.
“#SleepyDon I stayed up late posting anger on Truth Social,” the account posted.
The former president’s apparent courtroom nap has finally started trending on X, with users flocking to the hashtag #DonSnorleonea reference to mafia boss Don Corleone of the Godfather Series. Others chose another Trump pun: The Nodfather.
Several other social media users joined the joke.
“I prefer presidents who don’t fall asleep before lunch on money paid for a porn star election interference trial,” said one user. mocked.
“If Sleepy Don is too low on energy to stay awake during the first day of his criminal trial, will he have the stamina to be president?” other he wrote.
“’Sleepy Joe’ is [a] projection, like everything else,” the Republican Voters Against Trump account posted.
Others joked about Trump ally Mike Lindell, CEO of MyPillow, with a person tweeting: “Where’s the My Pillow guy when you need him?”
“A special consultant just showed up at Trump’s trial,” another postedalong with a photo of Mr. Lindell.
The nickname comes after Trump proudly tagged his 81-year-old 2024 rival Joe Biden“Sleepy Joe” ahead of the 2024 elections. Now, the former president has his own label as lethargic and tired.
Trump is charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records over so-called hush money payments made before the 2016 election to pay adult film star Stormy Daniels in exchange for silence about an alleged affair.
She claims the affair happened in 2006 — just a year after Trump married his now-wife, Melania.
Trump has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Speaking on CNN, Haberman also noted that dozing off in the middle of a trial is not necessarily out of character for Trump.
“There have been other moments in other trials, like the E Jean Carroll trial… where he seemed very still and appeared to be asleep,” she said.
“His chin kept dropping to his chest and his mouth kept going slack,” she continued.
While people sometimes fall asleep during court proceedings, “it’s notable given the intensity” of the trial, she said.
The Biden-Harris campaign retweeted the clip of Haberman speaking on CNN.
