A video of no-one at a New York court holding the door open for Donald Trump has gone viral as one of his former staffers suggested it was an embarrassing moment for the former president.
The Associated Press posted a clip on Twitter on Tuesday of Trump having to push the door open for himself as he enters the Manhattan Criminal Court for his historic arraignment.
The ex-president later pleaded not guilty to 34 felony charges that he falsified business records to hide $130,000 in hush money he paid in the last weeks of his 2016 presidential campaign.
Former President Donald Trump enters a Manhattan courtroom for his arraignment. He is expected to enter a not guilty plea. https://t.co/pt4IYQlx4epic.twitter.com/TL8JiiRSnb
— The Associated Press (@AP) April 4, 2023
On CNN, host Anderson Cooper seized on the clip.
He said: “There’s a court officer, I believe, who enters before him, doesn’t hold the door open for him.
“And the former president actually has to push the door open for himself, which is probably the first time he’s had to do that in quite some time.“
Alyssa Farah Griffin, a former White House communications director and CNN pundit, added: “That alone, knowing Donald Trump, will stick with him in a way … just a symbolic way of noticing the difference … the lack of pomp and circumstance … the lack of service being provided for him.
“Just that moment. That could have been a stark one that stands out to him.”
They weren’t the only ones to notice …
I can't get over the contrast between the court officers allowing the door to close in Trump's face today with Trump pushing aside a prime minister at a NATO meeting to get to the front of a photograph.
— George Conway🌻 (@gtconway3d) April 4, 2023
When was the last time a closing door crashed into Donald Trump? Hurray for symbolism! https://t.co/Gp5yv3bz0k
— Bryan Behar (@bryanbehar) April 4, 2023
No one held the door for Trump lol
— Adam Parkhomenko (@AdamParkhomenko) April 4, 2023
The police officer didn’t hold the door for Trump. Respect.
— Larry Pfeiffer (also @larrypfeifferdc@mstdn.party) (@LarryPfeifferDC) April 4, 2023
Notably, as Trump began his perp walk, no one bothered to hold the door open for him. He had to push it open himself. pic.twitter.com/DpoOVbMK5j
— Mike Sington (@MikeSington) April 4, 2023
Prosecutors have accused Trump of paying two women to suppress their accounts of sexual encounters with him.
The indictment, unsealed after Trump’s court appearance along with a statement of facts, alleged that Trump and others violated election laws through a scheme to suppress the publication of negative information about him ahead of the 2016 US election.
The two women were adult film actress Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal.
“Not guilty,” Trump, 76, said when asked how he pleaded.
“We’re going to fight it. We’re going to fight it hard,” Todd Blanche, a lawyer for Trump, told reporters after the arraignment, adding that Trump was frustrated, upset and angry about the charges.