Donald Trump did something 'worse than falling asleep' during his criminal trial in 'worrying' moment, expert says

Donald Trump appeared to fall asleep in court

Donald Trump was accused of something "worse than falling asleep" during his first criminal trial, a forensic psychiatrist has claimed.

The former US President, who was recently seen struggling to walk down a set of stairs, denied nodding off in court, with his eyes often seen closed and his behaviour described as "odd'. And an expert claimed there might be another explanation for his sleepy appearance.

Harvard academic and author Dr. Bandy X. Lee suggests Trump could have been experiencing a dissociative state to avoid confronting painful truths about himself during the trial, which saw him hit with 34 felony convictions.

"Given his emotional fragility, he is likely falling into a dissociative state to avoid the pain of facing intolerable facts about himself," Dr. Lee told Daily Express US.

"His unusual behaviour can be interpreted as frantic efforts to escape his own sense of inadequacy and worthlessness, and here he is trapped."

Dr. Lee believes that the stringent restrictions on talking, using mobile phones, and even drinking in court was exacerbating his unease.

"There are few ways for Donald Trump to escape reality in criminal court, which is the most rigorous in procedure and rules of evidence," she remarked.