Maggie Haberman says Trump tried staring her down after she reported his courtroom nap

New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman was in court on Monday when she couldn't help notice Donald Trump's "specific stare" aimed at her, and suspects it was because she reported him nodding off in court.

Former President Donald Trump steeled his gaze at the Pulitzer Prize-winning author during his first day on trial for allegedly falsifying business records to cover up hush-money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels.

"Yes, I noticed that he made a pretty specific stare at me then he walked out of the room," she told CNN's Kaitlin Collins on "The Source".

Haberman was part of a pool or reporters who spotted Trump appearing to fall asleep.

"Former President Donald J. Trump seemed alternately irritated and exhausted Monday morning," Haberman wrote in the Times. "Mr. Trump appeared to nod off a few times, his mouth going slack and his head drooping onto his chest."

She explained in more detail what she saw in court earlier in the day.

"I reported earlier that he had appeared to fall asleep," Haberman said. "I want to be clear that I've seen lots of people fall asleep in courtrooms. I've seen jurors fall asleep. I've seen judges fall asleep. If anyone falls asleep was a criminal defendant in a case, we're going to report on it."

READ MORE: Why has America tolerated 6 illegitimate Republican presidents?

Haberman added that Trump "doesn't like when such things are reported and I'm guessing, I don't know, that that's what this was about."

The fact that the former president is forced to sit in what Haberman described as a "cavernous", "dingy" and "dirty" courtroom is a knock to his ego.

She said it's remarkable that Trump is forced to "sit there and be captive while we all report on him" and she suspects going forward it's "going to be deeply uncomfortable for him because he is somebody who likes to control things."

Watch the video below or at this link.