For the first two weeks of his secret criminal trial, Trump largely sat alone, without allies, in a drab Manhattan courtroom. He listened to strangers offer scathing criticisms and former friends reveal unflattering details. And he grew frustrated, convinced his supporters could do more to help him.
He complained that “no one is defending me,” according to a source familiar with some of the former president’s private conversations. He growls outside the courtroom that there were no demonstrators supporting him outside.
On Tuesday, there were signs that his allies were listening to his concerns.
Trump’s son, Eric Trump, joined him in court — the first time a family member appeared with him at the trial at 100 Center St.
On Tuesday, for the first time, he was also accompanied by his strategist and de facto campaign leader. Susie Wiles and longtime advisor Dan Scavino. Trump’s legal strategist, Boris Epshteyn, was at his side for two days last week. And Natalie Harp, communications manager, was present.
Two of Trump’s most high-profile surrogates also appeared in court: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Club for Growth President David McIntosh. After the trial, Paxton defended Trump to the press.
Campaign staff will mobilize to Trump’s side, the source said, traveling to New York more frequently as he steps up his campaign outside the courtroom.
Trump has complained for days that no protesters were gathered outside the courthouse, blaming the lack of support on the New York Police Department – falsely claiming protesters were prohibited from gathering outside the building. (Police set aside a designated area across the street in a park for protesters.) On Tuesday, the largest crowd of Trump supporters gathered in the morning.
Trump’s lawyers also appear to have changed his court’s outlook. Trump now has a stack of papers in front of him, which he annotates during his testimony and pulls out to quote during his remarks to the press. When lawyers gather around the judge, one attorney often stays at the defense table so Trump is not seen sitting alone — which some say makes him look small.
Trump’s allies in Washington have stepped up their efforts by going after Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who filed charges against Trump and was seen just feet from the former president in the courtroom .
Bill White, a Trump fundraiser, said he contacted the chairmen of the House Judiciary and Oversight committees, urging them to do more to show support for Trump and defend him. He said he received a polite message from Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan’s office thanking him. Shortly after, Jordan, R-Ohio, in a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland, attacked the prosecution as “politicized” and questioned the hiring of a former Justice Department prosecutor who now works for Bragg.
“The people who don’t stand up for him, we all watch and remember,” White said. “Anyone who supported President Trump should be there every day to defend him. And he is right to wonder why this is not the case.
The source said Trump had praised Jordan’s efforts in recent days.
Some of its allies also say they are paying particular attention to it.
Trump spokesman Steven Cheung, who called the case against the former president “partisan,” said the show of support was due to the case.
“President Trump and his allies know the truth is on their side and they will fight these hoaxes at every turn,” he said in a statement. “Supporters and allies of President Trump came out in force, including House leadership on Tuesday, to fight the partisan and illegal war.”
Robert Hirschhorn, an attorney and trial consultant, said it was important for Trump to look at optics.
“Here are the choices: Either he continues to be a grumpy old man, or he can do things to distract the jury,” said Hirschhorn, who helped select the jury in the Robert Durst case (of the famous HBO series “The Jinx”. ) which resulted in an acquittal. “And someone passed the message on to him.”
Hirschhorn pointed to the effect of “Eric’s presence” and Trump sitting upright in court as a way to reframe the jury’s perception. But he could do more, he said.
“If this guy was smart, he would have this beautiful, smart woman in court every day,” Hirschhorn added. “The fact that she’s not here sends a message. You can do all this righteous indignation all day, but you have to walk the walk and talk the talk.
Hirschhorn said the recent wave of families, aides and allies siding with Trump could create momentum to help bolster his defense against allegations of extramarital affairs.
“Let’s see if on Thursday there’s another family member who shows up,” he said. “Because if I’m his jury consultant, I ask him how to make the jury understand that these people are not telling the truth: get your wife in the courtroom.”
Trump has also at times appeared to be sleeping in the courtroom, an outlook that could work against him with the jury if some begin to believe he is not taking the case seriously or wasting their time.
Giving Trump materials to read and notes to take can help offset this.
“When you have a client on trial, it’s an extraordinarily stressful experience,” said Tim Parlatore, a lawyer who previously worked on Trump’s defense team in the federal election interference case. “And so you want to make sure they’re as comfortable as possible, within reason, because ultimately the way they sit and the way they behave is something the jury sees.”
“Everything you do, the jury watches,” he added. “It’s a smart tactic.”
Trump faces 34 counts of falsifying business records related to payments made to adult film star Daniels during his 2016 presidential campaign. He has pleaded not guilty to all counts.