Donald Trump's MAGA Fans Claim He Pretends To 'Fall Asleep' In Court: 'It’s A Ruse'
By Favour Adegoke on April 17, 2024 at 1:15 PM EDT
Updated on April 17, 2024 at 2:11 PM EDT
On Donald Trump's first and second day in court for his hush money trial, reports surfaced that the former president fell asleep during the hearing. He was then severely mocked online, with #SleepyDon topping the X (formerly Twitter) trend list.
However, die-hard Trump supporters have come out to defend the 77-year-old, as they believe he was actually awake and was only put on an act.
MAGA Supporters Claim Donald Trump 'Sleeping' In Court Is 'A Ruse'
Trump's supporters are calling reports of him sleeping during serious legal proceedings in his criminal trial untrue.
On Monday and Tuesday, the former president stunned reporters present in court as he seemed to fall asleep during the hearing; however, a source told Page Six that Trump was only putting on a show in court as he was bored and felt the whole trial was "bulls--t."
"He thinks it's bulls--t, it's boring, it's not worth his time," the source claimed. "It's a ruse. Everything he does is calculated. He's never fallen asleep. It's not a thing he does. He goes to several meetings a day."
While Trump has appeared in a couple of movies and shows, he isn't known for his acting chops. He once won a Razzie for Worst Supporting Actor for his performance in the 1989 Rom-Com, "Ghosts Can't Do It."
Journalists Give Detailed Descriptions Of Donald Trump Allegedly Sleeping In Court
On the first day of the court hearing, the New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman wrote about Trump's alleged sleeping.
She said, "Even as a judge was hearing arguments on last-minute issues in a criminal case that centers on salacious allegations and threatens to upend his bid for the presidency, Mr. Trump appeared to nod off a few times, his mouth going slack and his head drooping onto his chest."
Haberman added, "The former president's lead lawyer, Todd Blanche, passed him notes for several minutes before Mr. Trump appeared to jolt awake and notice them."
Law360 journalist Frank G. Runyeon tweeted a detailed account of Trump dozing off in court during the Tuesday hearing.
He wrote, "Trump's head slowly dropped, his eyes closed. It jerked back upward. He adjusts himself. Then, his head droops again. He straightens up, leaning back. His head droops for a third time, he shakes his shoulders. Eyes closed still. His head drops. Finally, he pops his eyes open."
A Trump campaign spokesperson has since branded the reports as false, stating, "This is 100% Fake News coming from 'journalists' who weren't even in the courtroom."
Netizens Trolled The Former President For Allegedly Falling Asleep
After it was reported that Trump allegedly dozed off in court, users flooded the X social media platform with hilarious memes of the ex-president.
One person wrote, "Honestly, let him sleep. Wheel him into a fake Oval Office on the back nine of Trump National..."
Honestly, let him sleep.
Wheel him into a fake Oval Office on the back nine of Trump National, tell him he’s the president, hand him a Diet Coke and a hamberder, play a nature video, quietly close the door, and walk away.#SleepyDon pic.twitter.com/jupvKVGrNa— Jo (@JoJoFromJerz) April 15, 2024
A second individual joked and wondered if MAGA supporters also "nap" with the ex-president besides "standing" with him.
But do you nap with him too? #Sleepydon pic.twitter.com/Za9k7qvpDn
— TizzyEnt (@TizzyEnt) April 15, 2024
A third person wrote, "I prefer Presidents who don't fall asleep before the lunch break in their hush money paid to a p-rn star election interference trial."
One more user shared, "If #SleepyDon can't keep his beady little f--king eyes open a couple of hours into a court day, how the fuck is he supposed to be president?!?"
The Jury To Decided Donald Trump's Fate Is Gradually Taking Shape
Trump will be tried on 34 counts of falsifying business records. Judge Juan Merchan, who previously expanded a gag order placed on Trump, oversees the case.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and his colleagues Susan Hoffinger, Joshua Steinglass, and Matthew Colangelo are on the prosecution side.
For now, the court sessions have centered on the selection of the jury, the 12-member panel that will determine whether Trump is guilty of the accusations.
On the first day, 96 prospective jurors were brought in for questioning, and 50 were excused after they admitted to being unable to be impartial in the trial.
Trump's involvement in the criminal trial has also made for an interesting jury selection process, as some potential jurors have even described how severe the matter is.
One of the prospective jurors, a man from Harlem, said on Tuesday, "This is real. This man's life is on the line, the country's on the line, this is serious."
The Embattled Billionaire Wants His Gag Order Removed
Trump recently took to his Truth Social platform to rage about the gag order in his hush money trial, taking aim at Judge Juan Merchan for seemingly stopping him from responding to people "lying" about him on television.
"This conflicted, Trump-Hating Judge won't let me respond to people that are on TV lying and spewing hate all day long," Trump vented.
He added, "He is running roughshod over my lawyers and legal team. The New York System of 'Justice' is being decimated by critics from all over the World. I want to speak or at least be able to respond. Election Interference! RIGGED, UNCONSTITUTIONAL TRIAL! Take off the Gag Order!!!"