Donald Trump Seemingly Showcases His Power by 'Winking' At a Court Officer Ahead of Hush Money Trial

In what many have viewed as a power move, Donald Trump hinted at who was the boss by 'winking, waving and greeting' into the Manhattan courtroom ahead of his hush money trial. On April 15, 2024, the former President seemed relaxed as he strolled to the defense table, motioning friendly gestures towards the court staff as if it was just another happy day instead of a watershed moment in the history of America since he is the first POTUS to be undergoing a criminal trial.

The GOP front-runner waved at the reporters outside Manhattan's criminal court and while entering inside, he winked at a court officer and said something that sounded like, "How are you?" His calm demeanor didn't align with the gravity of the moment, as per Daily Mail.

Unintimated, the 77-year-old sat between his lawyers (Todd Blanche, Susan Necheles, and Emil Bove), leaned back in his chair in a reclining posture, and closed his eyes. His attitude on Day 1 of the trial seemed abnormally breezy, as if he was in a mood to take a nap. However, it's unclear if it was an intentional 'trump card' from his side or if he was seriously unbothered by the trial and its consequences. 

Meanwhile, the courtroom was packed full of 96 potential jurors for the hush money trial related to adult star Stormy Daniels. Although Trump has appeared in many courts lately, this is his first time as a criminal defendant. Throughout the first day of trial, he only spoke thrice, acknowledging to the judge he understood his rights (as a criminal defendant). While he maintained the decorum inside the courtroom, he waited for an opportunity to condemn the trial toward the end of Day 1. Speaking to a camera outside, Trump said, "It looks like the judge does not allow me to escape this scam. It's a scam," per CNN, complaining the judge isn't allowing him to attend his son's graduation.

By day 2, the ex-president was back to ranting on his Truth Social platform. In a series of social media posts, he lamented, "This conflicted, Trump-hating judge won't let me respond to people that are on TV lying and spewing hate all day long," criticizing a gag order imposed by Judge Juan Merchan. "He is running roughshod over my lawyers and legal team. The New York system of "justice" is being decimated by critics from all over the World," he continued, adding that this trial shouldn't have been brought to the courthouse in the first place. 

"This is a trial that should have never been brought, a trial that was being looked upon and looked at all over the world," Trump said, asserting, "Every legal pundit, every legal scholar, said this trial is a disgrace. We have a Trump-hating judge. We have a judge who shouldn't be on this case. He's totally conflicted."