Sleepy Donald and the Seven
Published in Die Presse
(Austria) on 17 April 2024
by Thomas Vieregge (link to original)
(Austria) on 17 April 2024
by Thomas Vieregge (link to original)
Translated from
by Kirsty Low.
Edited by Michelle Bisson.
So much for Sleepy Joe. Donald Trump dozed off during his trial.
The defendant is making his displeasure known. He has been reduced to silence for hours on end while others call the shots in the dilapidated courtroom in downtown Manhattan and judge him rather than the other way around — an unfamiliar world for the former president. No gimmicks, no glamour, no pomp: Donald Trump is out of his comfort zone in court.
In his hometown, he is presenting himself as "Grumpy Don," or rather, as "Sleepy Donald." The 77-year-old has been dozing off during the sleep-inducing proceedings — the very thing he persistently accuses his rival in the White House of doing. It is a highly difficult task to select jurors who are as unbiased as possible toward a politician who deeply polarizes the nation. After all, you either love him or you hate him.
Seven jurors — a biblical number — have been selected for the time being.* Melania Trump, the absent first lady, doesn't want to be caught off guard in the extremely embarrassing Stormy Daniels case and refuses to testify. Her spouse is playing the sympathy card: The trial timetable is preventing him from attending his son Barron's high school graduation in Florida, he complains. The judge will probably show mercy to the defendant — at least when viewing him in his role as a father.
*Editor’s Note: As of Friday, April 19, 12 jurors and one alternate had been selected.
The defendant is making his displeasure known. He has been reduced to silence for hours on end while others call the shots in the dilapidated courtroom in downtown Manhattan and judge him rather than the other way around — an unfamiliar world for the former president. No gimmicks, no glamour, no pomp: Donald Trump is out of his comfort zone in court.
In his hometown, he is presenting himself as "Grumpy Don," or rather, as "Sleepy Donald." The 77-year-old has been dozing off during the sleep-inducing proceedings — the very thing he persistently accuses his rival in the White House of doing. It is a highly difficult task to select jurors who are as unbiased as possible toward a politician who deeply polarizes the nation. After all, you either love him or you hate him.
Seven jurors — a biblical number — have been selected for the time being.* Melania Trump, the absent first lady, doesn't want to be caught off guard in the extremely embarrassing Stormy Daniels case and refuses to testify. Her spouse is playing the sympathy card: The trial timetable is preventing him from attending his son Barron's high school graduation in Florida, he complains. The judge will probably show mercy to the defendant — at least when viewing him in his role as a father.
*Editor’s Note: As of Friday, April 19, 12 jurors and one alternate had been selected.
Previous article![]( "Trump’s Trial Reveals the Sorry State of America’s Justice System")
Next article![]( "Israel: Between Fragilities and Dependencies")