Donald Trump is thrown off by the criminal trial he's facing in more ways than one, but it all boils down to control, according to a report citing those close to the matter.
Trump is being forced most days to attend his trial, which features allegations that he committed bookkeeping fraud in connection with covering up a hush-money payment aimed at affecting the 2016 election. Trump has repeatedly claimed in public that the courtroom is kept uncomfortably cold.
But in private, there are even more complaints, according to a report from the Washington Post.
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"The trial has been a jarring shift for a man who is rarely confined to silence, often around people paying to see him, and used to spending his days making phone calls, holding meetings, reading newspapers, tending to his properties, taping videos and peacocking around his Mar-a-Lago Club in Florida," the outlet reported. "Trump has also long prized having control of many of the details in his day-to-day life, people familiar with the matter said."
Specifically, the report notes that Trump "largely avoids restaurants outside his properties because he wants control over the food — particularly how his steak is cooked."
"He has avoided certain hotels on the road, telling advisers he prefers a Holiday Inn Express, because the bathroom floors are light colored and he can see if there is dirt. At his property, he controls the music — both the song choice and the volume. He was personally involved in renovating his plane, asking for constant updates, and complained about having to use the private planes of others while his was in the shop for over a year," the report states.
One person close to Trump reportedly said the ex-president is still in denial about being charged criminally.
“It’s almost like he can’t believe it,” the individual said, according to the report.
Now, Trump is trying to control what he can in a situation where he is given fewer rights as a criminal defendant.
"Now captive to the courthouse for much of the day, Trump tries to exert influence over what he can, often serving as his own spokesman between sessions," the report says. "Privately, he has complained at times to his lawyers, giving suggestions for what arguments they should make and sometimes second-guessing their arguments in the courtroom."
