Karoline Leavitt, the press secretary for Donald Trump's presidential campaign, dismissed claims of the former president's courtroom demeanor as "sensationalist headlines," asserting his defiance amid his criminal trial.
Leavitt spoke to Newsmax on Wednesday, addressing reports that Trump was either sleeping or displaying enraged behavior in court.
"Well, it's actually none of the above, and the people who are saying this are doing it to get sensationalist headlines," she said in an appearance on "Eric Bolling The Balance."
"And they're the same reporters that tell us that Joe Biden is not too mentally cognitively declined to be the president of the United States."
Describing Trump's stance in the courtroom, Leavitt emphasized his defiance in the face of what she characterized as a biased prosecution led by Democrat officials.
"President Trump remains defiant. He's very focused, and his legal team is focused on exposing the truth about this case," she said.
Leavitt's comments followed the conclusion of the second day of testimony, which featured David Pecker, former publisher of the National Enquirer, detailing a 2015 agreement involving Trump and Michael Cohen to suppress negative stories and promote negative coverage of political rivals, CNN reported.
The trial's attention on the magazine's "catch and kill" operations formed a part of the prosecution's case, with allegations that the deal with Stormy Daniels was part of a more significant effort to influence the 2016 presidential election.
Additionally, tensions flared in court as Judge Juan Merchan engaged in a heated exchange with Trump's lawyer over potential fines for social media posts that prosecutors claimed violated a gag order. The judge has not yet ruled on the matter.
The trial is set to resume on Thursday morning.
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Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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