Former President Donald Trump’s hush money trial for falsifying business records related to payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels began in New York City with Trump pleading not guilty to 34 felony counts. Despite admitting to reimbursing his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, for the $130,000 paid to Daniels, Trump denies any affair with her and has dismissed all allegations against him. Trump, who has called his legal troubles a Democrat-run witch hunt, was present for jury selection as proceedings kicked off.
Social media users took notice of the absence of Trump’s immediate family members during the trial’s first day, with critics pointing out the lack of support for the embattled former president. Former federal prosecutor Joyce Vance expressed surprise at the absence of Trump’s family, noting that it was unusual for a defendant to face trial without at least one family member present in court. The observation sparked discussions on Twitter, with some users criticizing Trump and his associates for their legal troubles, while others defended him and expressed support.
Despite the absence of his family members at the trial, Trump’s sons, Eric and Donald Jr., showed support for their father on social media. Donald Trump Jr. called the judge’s decision to not allow Trump to attend his son Barron’s graduation as “pure evil,” while Eric Trump criticized the judge for being “heartless.” However, it appears that the judge has not yet made a final decision on the matter. Meanwhile, Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump has been active on social media, posting photos with her children, while his other daughter, Tiffany Trump, has been less active. Melania Trump has largely stayed away from public appearances and has not commented on the trial or the election, choosing to focus on her family.
Melania Trump’s absence from public events has been a subject of speculation, with critics questioning her decision to step back from public life. Her absence was noticeable during the 2020 election campaign, and she was notably missing from a Trump family Christmas card. Trump cited her mother’s illness as the reason for her absence, and Melania has focused on her son’s well-being and charity work, according to her husband. Despite being a private person, Melania is expected to make a return to the public eye with a political fundraiser for the Log Cabin Republicans, a group representing LGBT conservatives and allies. Her first major political event of the year is scheduled for April 20 at Mar-a-Lago.
