Trump Naps in Court, Dubbed ‘Sleepy Don

During the opening day of his Manhattan “hush money” trial, former President Donald Trump was observed appearing to doze off in court, generating references to “Sleepy Don” on social media—a play on one of Trump’s many nicknames for President Joe Biden. Reporters noted Trump’s head dropping and mouth going slack, with The New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman observing that Trump seemed exhausted, though he jolted back awake after noticing notes from his lawyer. Other reporters, including Reuters’ Jack Queen and Courthouse News’ Erik Uebelacker, made similar observations of Trump dozing off in court. Trump’s adversaries quickly seized on the moment, coining the nickname “Sleepy Don” on social media, a nod to Trump’s “Sleepy Joe” nickname for Biden.

Trump’s courtroom appearances have been marked by animated displays of emotion in his various criminal and civil cases. In January, he stormed out of the courtroom during closing arguments in a defamation case against him and was admonished by a judge for making comments in earshot of the jury. During his Manhattan civil fraud trial, the judge told Trump’s lawyer to “control your client” after Trump politicized his remarks.

The Manhattan criminal case against Trump involves 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in connection with repayments to ex-attorney Michael Cohen for hush money paid to adult film star Stormy Daniels in the lead-up to the 2016 election. The trial began with jury selection, which could take at least a week, as the judge selects 12 jurors and six alternates. Potential jurors filled out a questionnaire about potential biases and their ability to follow court guidelines. Trump has pleaded not guilty to the charges and denies the affair with Daniels.

The judge warned Trump that he could be arrested if he skips or disrupts the proceedings. Prosecutors also asked the judge to hold Trump in contempt for violating a gag order prohibiting him from attacking prospective jurors and witnesses. The judge scheduled a hearing for April 23 to review the contempt request