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| Mary Trump (right) draws a record-setting audience on The Rachel Maddow Show |
Mary L. Trump -- psychologist, author, and outspoken critic of her uncle Donald's efforts to reclaim the presidency -- draws parallels between Donald Trump's view of his hush-money trial in New York and Vladimir Putin's similar approach to events he sees as not worthy of his interest. She also explains the importance of the hush-money matter, examines the volatile relationship developing between Donald and Judge Juan Mercan, takes an amusing look at media coverage of the trial, and provides background on the jurors, mostly regular folks, who will help decide the fate of a former president in a historic proceeding.
For good measure, Mary Trump has become a hit on network television, with a record-breaking appearance on MSNBC's The Rachel Maddow Show in July 2020.
At her widely read Substack page ("The Good in us"), Mary Trump writes under the headline "The Judge Blasts Donald: Five surprises and insights from Day Two":
Donald’s courtroom drama continues. Unprecedented jury selection, and a judge’s stern warning! Dive into the details about seven jurors who hold Donald’s fate and the judge’s unyielding stance against disruptions. Read On! 👇
In yesterday’s piece, I covered what is going through Donald’s mind. Today, I’d like to discuss an important point about how the trial is being covered:
Amid the media frenzy and Donald’s theatrics both inside and outside of the courtroom, I worry that we’re losing sight of the gravity of the crimes for which he’s being charged. It doesn’t help, of course, that the case is being billed as a “hush money” case when there are more important things at stake. It’s crucial to make every effort not to let the spectacle overshadow the seriousness of the proceedings.
At the same time, we all deserve to revel in a little schadenfreude.
Growing up in the Trump family, I had a front-row seat to Donald’s actions and their consequences to other people. Yet it’s only now, in a drab New York City courtroom, that it feels like he’s the one facing the consequences.
The prospect of Donald being forced to sit in a courtroom for eight weeks brings me a sense of relief. It’s good to know, in this one instance anyway, that he’s being treated like any other criminal defendant. This moment has been a long time coming. Here’s hoping there will be much more like this.
(1) Unraveling the threads: the New York case in focus
Ron Filipowski, an American criminal-defense attorney, former federal prosecutor, and noted legal analyst on multiple social-media sites, offers a compelling perspective:
“If Stormy Daniels had come out and told what happened two weeks before the election, on the heels of the Access Hollywood tape instead of getting paid off by Trump, the 2016 outcome might have been different. That’s why this is an election-interference trial.”
The alleged payoff to Stormy Daniels was not just a personal matter (paying Stormy Daniels to keep their tryst secret from Melania would not have been illegal). Instead, the transaction was a way to conceal information from Americans and potentially influence the outcome of the 2016 election.
This case is not about Donald’s personal conduct; it’s about his attempt to undermine the democratic process.
(2) The judge blasts Donald and warns him not to intimidate jurors
On Tuesday, after defense counsel Todd Blanche questioned a potential juror about her social-media posts, Donald gestured and said something in her direction. Judge Juan Merchan issued a stern warning to Donald for his audible remarks.
After the woman left the room, Merchan addressed Donald’s lawyer: “While the juror was at a distance of 12 feet from your client, your client was audibly muttering something … I won’t tolerate that.”
It is good to know that, from the outset, the judge has been quick to stomp out Donald’s disruptions.
Also keep in mind that being in this situation, even after only two days, it is nearly intolerable for Donald to sit there quietly. As he continues to hear disparaging comments, as he continues to submit to somebody else’s authority, the pressure will build. In some ways, I think this experience might be worse for him than jail.
Here’s to eight more weeks … at least.
(3) Here is what we know about the the first group of jurors selected:
Juror 1 is a “man who lives in West Harlem and works in sales. He is married, likes to do ‘anything outdoorsy,’ and gets news from The New York Times, Fox News, and MSNBC.”
Juror 2 is “a woman who lives on the Upper East Side and works as an oncology nurse at Memorial Sloan Kettering. She is engaged and likes to spend time with family and friends and take her dog to the park. She gets news from CNN, The New York Times, Google, and Facebook.”
Juror 3 is “a young man who has lived in Chelsea for five years, works as an attorney in corporate law, and likes to hike and run. He gets news from The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Google.”
Juror 4 is a “middle-aged man who lives on the Lower East Side and works in IT training and consulting. He is married with one child and two grandchildren. He said he has ‘no spare time.’ He gets news from the New York Daily News, The New York Times, Google, and X.”
Juror 5 is a “young woman who is a Harlem resident and works as a teacher. She lives with her boyfriend, loves writing, theater, and traveling. She gets news from Google and TikTok and listens to podcasts on relationships and pop culture.”
Juror 6 is “a young woman who lives in Chelsea and works as a software engineer. She gets news from The New York Times, Google, Facebook and TikTok.”
Juror 7 is another white-shoe lawyer. He lives on the Upper East Side and according to court transcripts, “enjoys spending time outdoors and with his children." He gets his news from The New York Times, New York Post, Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post.
While he has “supported some of Trump's policies as president” he’s disagreed with some. "I don't know the man and I don't have opinions about him personally," he said.
(4) Rachel Maddow humiliates Donald for falling asleep at his trial
During her coverage, Monday night, Rachel Maddow said, “The wheels of justice grind slowly. I did not think they would grind so slowly that they would rock the defendant apparently to sleep.” Maddow reminds us that even in the midst of serious events, there’s room for a little levity.
“I know it’s not the most important legal thing, but we are in the middle of a campaign and the age issue is the main thing the Trump campaign wants to use against his opponent — the whole “Sleepy Joe” thing,” she added.
“This is the most historic thing that Donald Trump has ever done. No [one has left the Oval office and become] a criminal defendant, and on day one, the headlines coming out of it are that he appeared to doze off. I mean it’s insane … it’s also a reminder that however scary and somber and important this is, we are dealing with someone who is fundamentally buffoonish,” Maddow concluded.
Honorable mention to Chris Hayes who told his colleague, "If you call your opponent ‘Sleepy Joe,’ you have one job.” You know, to not fall asleep in public.
(5) The diplomacy of drowsiness
I was recently reminded of a headline from the 2022 Beijing Olympics and thought it might provide some context for Donald’s apparent fatigue. During the grand opening ceremony, a moment that was meant to be a celebration of global unity, Vladimir Putin seemed to doze off.
This happened just as athletes from Ukraine were marching into the stadium, and the camera panned to Putin who was slumped over in his chair.
The moment was laden with irony, given the tense relations between Ukraine and Russia. Putin had already built a significant military presence at their shared border, and the threat of invasion was looming.
Putin’s poorly-timed nap could be interpreted in several ways, but the most obvious interpretation is that Ukraine and its athletes are so beneath his notice that Putin doesn’t feel the need to be conscious in their presence. I see a parallel to Donald’s current situation that could land him in trouble with the judge and the jury once the trial gets under way.
Donald may be tired, he may be medicated, but regardless, what message does it send everybody else in the courtroom that he can’t be bothered to keep his eyes open? How will the engaged and attentive jury feel as they are forced to sit there entirely because of him while he dozes off?
He is absolutely aware of the seriousness of these proceedings, so one can only infer that he has such contempt for them, and the rest of the participants, that he'd rather sleep through it all.
The jury will only see how tired, pitiful, and arrogant he really is — and none of that is going to help him.
Conclusion: How we all wake up from the nightmare of “Sleepy Donald”
Even while trapped in a courtroom, Donald and his presidential campaign are dangerous for America. I refuse to be a silent or passive observer while Donald continues to undermine our democracy.
This is where the power of this newsletter comes into play. I’m committed to shining a light on important stories the corporate media overlooks or downplays , while bringing critical information to swing voters.
The importance of covering these stories cannot be overstated, especially when the media seems incapable or too inept to do so.
Defending democracy is my full-time job, a mission I can more effectively accomplish with YOUR support.
Will you join me?
Currently, I have 207,260 free subscribers. If just 5 percent choose to be supporting subscribers for the price of a small coffee, I can extend my reach to even more voters.
Together, we can help save democracy. 👇
Thank you to everybody who becomes a supporting subscriber. I can only do this because of YOUR help. – Mary
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