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Donald Trump’s apparent sleeping in court on day one of his criminal trial for alleged business fraud related to a cover-up of “hush money” election interference has critics concerned.

While initial reactions to the news largely mocked him as “Sleepy Don,” or “Drowsy Don,” political and legal experts are wondering if the 77-year old ex-president would be able to stay awake during times of crisis, when an alert president would be critical to the nation’s security.

Former President Donald Trump's hush money trial in Manhattan could end up consuming a lot of the time he should be spending convincing voters to give him another term, The New York Times reported.

This comes as the former president appeared in court on Monday, officially becoming the first U.S. president to face a criminal trial after leaving office. Prior to doing so, he went on a last-minute Truth Social tirade.

Former President Donald Trump might have to be removed from the courtroom in Manhattan if he exhibits his typical behavior — and former federal prosecutor Joyce Vance has some thoughts on how that might work.

This comes after Judge Juan Merchan gave Trump a standard defendant warning that outbursts at trial might lead to his detention — and after his own attorneys pleading with him to stay calm and not blow up.

New York Justice Juan Merchan blasted Todd Blanche, an attorney for Donald Trump, for suggesting his client should not have to attend his criminal trial next week.

At the conclusion of the first day of Trump's hush money trial, Blanche sought permission for his client to be absent from the courtroom for Wednesday campaign events and to attend a Supreme Court hearing next Thursday.

Former President Donald Trump's biggest risk in the Manhattan hush money trial could be what he himself says if he takes the witness stand, former Trump administration White House lawyer Jim Schultz argued on CNN Monday.

This came as the trial's first day opened with the jury selection process, with Trump sitting at the defense table and some experts remarking that he appeared diminished.

Donald Trump's legal team was expecting around just 40 percent of jurors to be dismissed from his New York hush money criminal case over the question of whether they can be impartial, but more than half of the 96 jurors were dismissed en masse due to their admitted inability to be unbiased.

While at least 50 of the potential jurors were let go over their inability to be impartial, others bowed out over potential conflicts.

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani's request that a jury's verdict that he defamed election workers Shaye Moss and Ruby Freeman be thrown out was rejected Monday.

Just Security's Adam Klasfeld posted about the failure of his motion, stating that Judge Beryl Howell ruled that the "massive" judgment still stands.

Former President Donald Trump reportedly turned an angry gaze toward New York Times journalist Maggie Haberman after she broke news that he may have been sleeping in court.

During the first day of his hush money trial, several reporters observed that Trump appeared to fall asleep.

Michael Steele, the former Chairman of the Republican National Committee, gave his one-time party a sarcastic congratulatory message as it watched its presumptive presidential nominee go on trial on multiple felony charges.

Writing on Twitter, Steele said that Trump's trial related to allegedly falsifying business records to cover up hush-money payments was "such a proud moment" for the one-time "Party of Lincoln."

More than 50 prospective jurors were dismissed en masse at Donald Trump's hush money trial on Monday.

During the first day of the first criminal trial of a former U.S. president, Justice Juan Merchan asked the first group of 96 potential jurors to raise their hands if they could not be impartial to Trump.

Donald Trump lost it with his lawyers once the group returned from the lunch recess, according to a report.

The lawyers were fighting over Trump's team's failure to produce documents under New York's reciprocal discovery laws.

Former President Donald Trump's latest filing in the presidential immunity case that will be heard before the Supreme Court next week has shocked one legal expert for its "audacious" claims.

Trump's attorneys Monday filed a 33-page response to special counsel Jack Smith's argument that the former president is not protected from prosecution by blanket immunity and therefore can be tried on election interference charges in Washington D.C. federal court.

The pressures of defending himself in civil and criminal trials while also running for the presidency is having a serious effect on Donald Trump's well-being.

That is the opinion of former Trump White House advisor Miles Taylor, who recently observed that his old boss seems "unwell" and that his decline since he lost re-election is readily apparent.