Amid freezing temperatures, Donald Trump has to sit quietly in front of the judge for six weeks without his cell phone. Instead of his beloved Diet Coke, he is only allowed to drink water in the courtroom. He is completely prohibited from eating.

Trump is only allowed to speak if the judge asks him a question. Visits to the bathroom are only allowed during breaks ordered by the judge.

Confidants of the presidential candidate describe the current trial for illegal money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels as the biggest punishment of his life to date.

Journalists shout questions at Trump

Donald Trump is miserable, they say. Every day he has to enter the room shortly before 9:30 a.m. Only a few of his followers stand in front of the old courthouse in Manhattan.

Instead, reporters ask him questions he'd rather not answer: “Have you slept with Playboy model Karen McDougal?” or “How are you celebrating Melania's birthday?”

Melania turned 54 last Friday. “It would be nice if I could spend the day with her, but I'm in a rigged court trial,” Trump responded.

A court in which the heating also seems to be broken. “It's so cold here,” Trump complained. His lawyer asked the judge to raise the temperature: “We are shivering in the cold here,” Todd Blanche said indignantly.

“Smells like old soup”

The request was rejected. The heating and air conditioning system was not working properly, Judge Juan Merchán explained: “If it did that, temperatures would probably rise 30 degrees, so Trump has to keep freezing.”

In addition to the frigid temperatures, court reporters also complain about what appears to be a particularly unpleasant smell in the courtroom. “It smells like old soup and bad breath,” said TV host Rachel Maddow.

The comparisons made by your New York Times colleague Maggie Haberman sound similar. The renowned author described the stench in the hallway as “bad sour breath caused by coffee.”

Other journalists want to blame the defendant himself for the stench: “I have heard from reliable sources that Donald Trump farts in the courtroom and that he totally stinks around him,” wrote Ben Meisales of Los Angeles Magazine on X (formerly Twitter). .

“I've heard from very credible people that he falls asleep halfway and then lets you drive, and that his lawyers are really suffering from the smell.”

Campaign under the hashtag “Trump sucks”

Attorney George Conway says he received the same information: “I heard that too. It is not a joke”. The ex-husband of former Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway is a co-founder of the “Lincoln Project,” a group of moderate Republicans who are committed to opposing Donald Trump.

Months ago, the “Lincoln Project” ran a campaign under the hashtag “Trump Stinks,” in which celebrities who knew him from his reality TV days spoke out about Trump's body odor.

Former Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger also reported: “I'm really surprised that people close to Trump haven't talked about his smell yet. It's really remarkable. “Anyone who can should wear a mask.”

“Finally open your eyes”

Trump supporters talk about a smear campaign. They also vehemently deny that he often falls asleep briefly in the courtroom. “He's just pretending to show how much he doesn't care,” said one fan, explaining numerous reports about Trump's frequent nods.

“Trump's head falls slowly, his eyes are closed. He grimaces. He stands up again. Then his head falls again,” wrote court reporter Frank Runyeon.

“Then he straightens up and lies down. His head falls for the third time. She relaxes her shoulders. Eyes still closed. His head falls. She finally opens her eyes.”

Maybe you're missing the caffeine from your beloved Cola, they say. Trump usually drinks a lot of Diet Cokes throughout the day. But he only allows himself water in the courtroom. Snacks are also strictly prohibited here. Even going to the bathroom is only allowed during court-ordered breaks.

The biggest punishment for Trump is to stay still

Trump critics and fans alike agree: Trump's greatest punishment is to sit in silence for several hours every day, without family, without fans, and without his cell phone.

“He feels miserable,” John Catsimatidis, a longtime friend of Trump from New York, told the Wall Street Journal. “There's nothing worse than having to sit and be silent.”

He seems exhausted, trial observers say: older and weaker than before. They say that what bothers him the most is boredom.

“He hasn't had to spend this much time away from his family, employees or fans in decades,” Maggie Haberman said. “There's probably never been a time when he's been forced to be so bored for so long.”