Donald Trump has dramatically described his ongoing criminal trial to followers on social media and in courthouse rants and fundraising pitches, but the reality — like most courtroom business — is far more mundane, CNN reported Wednesday.
The ex-president has sent out a fundraising email titled, "My farewell message," warning that he could be thrown in jail for violating his gag order, which he repeatedly claims was issued by "rigged judge" working in tandem with "crooked" Joe Biden's White House to silence him during the election.
But CNN reported those claims don't really match up with reality.
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"Throughout the first six days of his trial, Trump’s dramatized retellings of his legal peril have veered considerably from the events actually unfolding in and around Manhattan’s criminal courthouse," the network reported.
"In social media posts and in fundraising pitches, a frantic Trump shares tales of courtroom spectacles and plots against him, untethered from the subdued — and sometimes sleepy — rhythms of the criminal justice system in motion."
The former president has claimed he "stormed out" of the proceedings and notified supporters of his "emergency" news conferences, but no courtroom reporters have seen him leave the courtroom except during breaks, and his remarks to reporters have been aggrieved but not particularly urgent.
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"Trump has mostly filled the mundane moments the only way a defendant is generally allowed: with silence," CNN reported. "He bites his lips, stares ahead and peeks at the jurors. He nodded approvingly when one prospective juror mentioned reading some of his books. With the courtroom quiet Tuesday, Trump flipped through a pile of papers loud enough to hear the pages turning."
"Twice he appeared to doze off — though in his version of events, relayed on his Truth Social platform, he was 'PRAYING not sleeping!!'" the network added.
Judge Juan Merchan has admonished the ex-president for gesturing and speaking toward a juror, and his attorneys have frequently clashed with the judge, who warned defense lawyer Todd Blanche he was "losing all credibility" during one memorable exchange in a contempt of court hearing over Trump's potential violations of the gag order.
But even those moments have been far less dramatic than described, CNN reported.
"But the typically verbose Trump quietly took his lumps," CNN reported. "He barely reacted as prosecutor Christopher Conroy accused the former president of violating the gag order and continued to stare straight ahead as Blanche defended him."
Trump has also called on supporters to protest his trial outside the courthouse but warned them to expect police to attempt to block them and shunt them into "holding areas," suggesting violent clashes might even be possible. But the streets around the courthouse were open to traffic and saw few protesters or police.
