According to several accounts, Donald Trump dozed during the first day of his criminal trial. Faced with the prospect of finally being held to account for something, Trump fell asleep. In Freudian psychoanalysis this is known as going full toddler. It may have been one of the few times I’ve envied the defendant. Since Trump news has returned to the fevered levels we all hoped we’d left behind in 2020, I’ve been tempted to assume the fetal position, turn out the lights, unplug the devices, diaper up, and enter a self-imposed news coma. Wake me when Trump loses the election and pays for his crimes. Otherwise, don’t wake me. You know how this nonstop coverage works, but it’s worth a reminder that the breathless coverage you’re seeing is not the breathless coverage being broadcast to the other side. On Monday, Trump sent out a fundraising email explaining that he had just angrily stormed out of the courtroom. There were two problems with this account: First, Trump calmly exited the courtroom. Second, when the fundraising email was sent, court was still in session and the defendant was still in the room. It’s too ridiculous to be believed, but a massive number of Americans will believe it. PT Barnum may have been the greatest sociologist of all time. David Graham in The Atlantic: Trump’s Alternate-Reality Criminal Trial. As the trial unfolds, I’ll try to compartmentalize it in this newsletter even if I fail to do the same in my mind.

+ Of course, this alternate reality is everywhere, and presents an ongoing threat to America and its allies. Consider a recent poll that queried which source of information people trusted most when it comes to the war in Ukraine. The most trusted source among GOP voters: Donald Trump. WaPo (Gift Article): One poll question summarizes eight years of Donald Trump.

+ One of the big questions about this particular case is why it’s taken so long to get to trial. Sadly, one of the reasons was a corrupted DOJ. It’s hard to remember all the scandals, so here’s a refresher from Rachel Maddow.