While the rest of the world can’t peel their eyes away as Donald Trump’s historic criminal trial gets under way in New York, the former president himself appears to be far less enthralled by the proceedings.

Jury selection got under way on Monday in the first-ever criminal trial of a sitting or former president, as he faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in a bid to cover up hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels.

But, according to some courtroom reporters, Mr Trump appeared to struggle to keep his eyes open – and at one point may have even fallen asleep.

“Trump appears to be sleeping. His head keeps dropping down and his mouth goes slack,” New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman reported.

The observation quickly inspired a new nickname for the 77-year-old former president: “Sleepy Don.”

Soon, the moniker spread like wildfire on social media.

“My theory: Trump’s legal team sedated him,” Mother Jones DC bureau chief David Corn wrote.

“Looks, he’s old. The judge is keeping Sleepy Don from his nap time,” Meidas Touch editor-in-chief Ron Filipkowski posted.

The Lincoln Project, an anti-Trump Super PAC, wrote that Mr Trump had worn himself out with his post-trial Truth Social rants.

“#SleepyDon was up late rage-posting on Truth Social,” the account posted.

The former president’s apparent courtroom nap eventually began trending, with users flocking to the hashtag #DonSnorleone, a reference to the mafia kingpin Don Corleone from the Godfather series. Others chose another pun for Mr Trump: The Nodfather.

Several other social media users joined in the joke.

“I prefer Presidents who don’t fall asleep before the lunch break in their hush money paid to a porn star election interference trial,” one user mocked.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-hush-money-sleepy-don-b2529108.html