The former president sat at the very same courtroom table that has been occupied by Jan. 6 defendants who stormed the Capitol in his name.
For a fleeting moment Thursday, Donald Trump and special counsel Jack Smith — the man who could put him in prison — appeared to make eye contact as the former president prepared to fend off charges that he sought to subvert American democracy itself., the third in recent months for the former president who is fighting federal and local prosecutors even as he appears to be coasting to the 2024 GOP presidential nomination.
The U.S. Capitol Police, who were battered on Jan. 6, 2021 while fending off rioters who stormed Congress in Trump’s name, were on duty assisting with security efforts outside the courthouse. The Capitol building, largely emptied as lawmakers traveled home for their August recess, loomed across the street.
Moments later, there was Trump — the former president of the United States — seated at a table that has in recent months been occupied by some of the very people who stormed the Capitol and are now paying a legal price. He had to confirm that he was not on any medication or drugs that might alter his ability to comprehend the proceedings. Trump spoke few words during his 45 minutes in the room, replying to questions with “yes” or “yes, your honor” in ways that were barely audible in the courtroom or on livestreams beamed to other parts of the courthouse.
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