THE TRUMP CASES
Why Trump keeps reading printouts of news articles at his trial

It’s an unorthodox strategy for a criminal defendant, yet it embodies the former president’s penchant for showmanship and determination to discredit his case.

By Marianne LeVine and Adriana Usero
May 22, 2024 at 9:33 a.m. EDT

NEW YORK — Former president Donald Trump has established an unusual courthouse ritual as he attends his New York hush money trial: He regularly addresses reporters with printouts of what appear to be news stories, and legal analysis that he cites, often invoking others talking about him.

Frequently, Trump leafs through his stack of papers in front of TV cameras, quoting mostly conservative legal commentators who have tried to discredit the case. He has also repeatedly cited polling that shows him ahead of President Biden and touched on immigration and inflation, despite saying the trial has prevented him from campaigning.

It’s an unorthodox strategy for a criminal defendant, legal experts said, yet it embodies the former president’s penchant for showmanship and determination to discredit his case in multiple ways frequently involving baseless or exaggerated claims. It also displays his longtime preference for printed papers. When he was in the White House, Trump would watch multiple TVs, while reviewing printed out press clippings, said a former Trump administration official, who was granted anonymity to speak about the habit.

“He’s using them more as a visual aid and crutch,” said Ken White, a First Amendment litigator, in a text. “He’s always been big on having people print things out so he can look at them and wave them around.” ... “Generally criminal defendants don’t run their mouths during trial, because it’s extremely foolish," White added.

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Scott Clement and Rachel Siegel contributed to this report.

By Marianne LeVine
Marianne LeVine is a national political reporter for The Washington Post. Twitter https://twitter.com/marianne_levine

By Adriana Usero
Adriana Usero has been a video editor on The Fact Checker since 2020. Adriana was part of a team of journalists that won a Pulitzer Prize for Public Service in 2021. She was previously embedded with the General Assignment desk and Opinions section. She joined The Post in 2016 and was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Twitter https://twitter.com/AdriUsero