He makes no secret of it: he would give a lot to be elsewhere. Through his gestures, his attitude and even more through his words, Donald Trump expresses his discomfort and his repugnance at finding himself judged by a New York court.
In a blue suit and shirt, with a striped tie of the same color, with a stern expression, he quickly took his place on Tuesday, behind a large wooden table, for the second day of his criminal trial – unprecedented for an ex -American president.
After brief exchanges with his lawyers, he only seemed to lighten up when faced with the lenses of the photographers who came to shoot him before the start of the hearing.
Donald Trump in the courtroom of the court in New York for the second day of his criminal trial, April 16, 2024 / Mark Peterson / POOL/AFP
“I should be right now in Pennsylvania and Florida, in many other states, in North Carolina, in Georgia, campaigning,” the Republican candidate for the November election said indignantly. his arrival at the Manhattan court, denouncing once again a “trial that should never have existed”.
The day before, he had criticized Judge Juan Merchan, who required his presence at all the hearings (i.e. four days a week), for not having exempted him from the outset to attend his son’s graduation or follow a hearing concerning him at the Supreme Court of the United States next week.
On this day exclusively dedicated to
Reduced de facto to silence, he shows no particular emotion and sometimes seems bored, even dozing off, in the face of this sometimes repetitive parade of anonymous citizens, a slice of New York society, thrown into this suspenseful legal soap opera.
Former Republican president sued for payments intended to buy former porn star’s silence
A Trump reader
Everyone in turn must answer out loud to a long questionnaire on their professional and family situation, their hobbies, their sources of information, but also their sympathies or prejudices towards the accused.
After a while of this mostly passive attitude, Donald Trump began to more actively monitor the potential jurors’ responses, perusing a printed copy of the questionnaire.
Donald Trump speaks to the press ahead of the second day of his criminal trial in New York, April 16, 2024 / Mary Altaffer / POOL/AFP
The real estate mogul finally comes to life when a potential juror responds positively to the question: “Have you read one or more of the books written by the defendant?”, greeting with a smile and an approving nod of the head the mention of his most famous work, “The Art of the Deal”.
After this first phase, when prosecutor Joshua Steinglass asks the 12 pre-selected jurors if they feel capable of convicting him, he nods several times in their direction.
Then, when the defense questions a juror about the meaning of videos she posted on social networks, Donald Trump turns to her.
Once the juror leaves, the judge calls out Donald Trump’s lawyers, saying that the accused “mumbled” something and “was gesturing” while she spoke.
“I will not allow jurors to be intimidated in my court,” he tells them, urging them to rein in their restless client.
