Donald Trump’s penchant for Diet Coke may explain why he appeared to fall asleep in court this week, a sleep expert told DailyMail.com.
The former president reportedly fell asleep several times during jury selection in his hush money criminal trial in New York on Monday.
His team vehemently denies the claims, saying his eyes may have been closed because he “reads a lot”, but one expert has pointed to his diet as a possible reason.
Dr. Chris Winter, a Virginia neurologist, said Trump may have struggled due to a lack of caffeine, because he didn’t have access to his beloved Diet Cokes.
Trump is said to drink up to 12 cans of the stuff every day, accumulating as much caffeine as four 12-ounce cups of coffee.
Donald Trump reportedly drinks 12 Diet Cokes a day, which is equivalent to more than 500 milligrams of caffeine.
A sketch by veteran judicial artist Jane Rosenberg showed that Trump had fallen asleep in his chair. Other journalists in the courtroom backed up Maggie Haberman’s earlier report that the former president had fallen asleep.
Dr. Winter added that Trump’s notoriously poor diet, full of fast and processed foods, could also cause midday energy crashes.
Trump also boasts of being able to do business while sleeping only four or five hours a night, saying it has helped his career.
Trump, who often refers to President Biden as ‘Sleepy Joe,’ appeared fatigued in court and was seen asleep in his chair by several reporters at the start of his criminal trial, where he faces 34 felony counts related to falsifying records. commercial. to cover up a flirtation with a porn star.
After the lunch break, he closed his eyes several times again and seemed to realize that he was falling asleep, stiffening his posture.
Dr Winter said the sudden lack of Diet Cokes “could contribute to this.”
‘Especially if you use (soft drinks to) compensate for inadequate or dysfunctional sleep. Furthermore, inadequate sleep makes us crave sugar.’
Trump’s diet is largely made up of unhealthy foods that could cause a sharp drop in energy shortly after eating.
Trump’s love of diet soda is well known and so strong that he reportedly installed a button on the Oval Office’s Resolute Desk to summon one at will.
In 2017, the Associated Press reported that, upon pressing the button built into a polished wooden box the size of a package of tissues, “a White House butler walked in with a single glass of Diet Coke on a tray of silver”.
Although he is no longer in the White House, Trump is said to receive a constant flow of refreshments in the comfort of his home base, Mar-A-Lago.
A single 12-ounce can of Diet Coke contains 46 mg of caffeine, about the equivalent of a shot of espresso.
From 9 a.m. until the lunch break, Trump has to resort to the caffeine he consumed before walking through the courtroom doors to stay alert.
Poor sleep, coupled with a caffeine deficit and a high-fat fast food diet, is a recipe for an energy crash.
Dr. Winter added: “Given your age, stress, taste for fast food, and disinterest in exercise, I think your sleepiness could absolutely be related to other underlying health problems.” Cardiac, cognitive, etc., all the possibilities. It’s hard to say without having access to his medical history.
Trump’s lawyer, Alina Habba, called reports that Trump fell asleep “a remarkable story at best” and said it’s possible his eyes were closed because he “reads a lot.”
Habba said, “If anything, he’s probably brutally bored.” I mean, it’s painful that they made him sit there during jury selection… but no, you know, I’ve heard that report; It is unlikely, I know it; I was with him in trial after trial that never happens.
President Biden, for his part, is no stranger to falling asleep at inopportune times, including during keynote speeches at the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow in 2021.