Donald Trump's family members apparently not attending the first day of his "hush money" trial has raised eyebrows on social media.
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Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in relation to so-called "hush money" he arranged for his then-lawyer, Michael Cohen, to pay adult film star Stormy Daniels to keep an alleged affair she had with the former president a secret ahead of the 2016 election.
The presumptive 2024 GOP presidential nominee has admitted to reimbursing the $130,000 to Cohen, but he denies having an affair with Daniels. The embattled Republican has denied all allegations of wrongdoing.
Jury selection for Trump's trial began in New York City on Monday. The former star of The Apprentice, who has branded his legal woes a Democrat-run "witch hunt," was on hand for the proceedings.
However, it was noted by some observers that none of Trump's immediate family appeared to be present to show their support at the courthouse on Monday.
Joyce Vance, a former federal prosecutor and legal analyst who is a frequent critic of Trump, took to X, formerly Twitter, on Monday to share her take on the matter.
"I have rarely seen a defendant facing trial alone with no family, at least one person, in the courtroom for him," Vance wrote on the micro-blogging platform. "It's a sad commentary for a former president with four grown children & a wife, all of whom seem to have deserted him at the moment."