Insiders say lawsuit is ‘shocking’ for Trump as he likes to have control over how steak is cooked

Donald Trump is unsettled in more ways than one by the criminal trial he’s facing, but it all comes down to scrutiny, according to a report citing those close to the case.

Trump is forced to attend his trial most days, which includes charges that he committed accounting fraud in connection with covering up a hush money payment aimed at influencing the 2016 election. Trump has repeatedly claimed publicly that the courtroom remains uncomfortably cold.

But privately there are even more complaints, according to a report by the Washington Post.

READ ALSO: A criminologist explains why Trump’s trial in Manhattan poses the greatest threat to his freedom

‘The trial has been a shocking change for a man who is rarely confined to silence, often surrounded by people who pay to see him, and who is used to spending his days on the phone, holding meetings, reading newspapers, maintaining his property , recording videos and peacocking around his Mar-a-Lago Club in Florida,” the outlet reported. “Trump has also long valued having control over many details of his daily life, people familiar with the matter said.”

Specifically, the report notes that Trump “largely avoids restaurants outside his properties because he wants control over the food — especially how his steak is prepared.”

“He has avoided certain roadside hotels and told advisers he prefers a Holiday Inn Express because the bathroom floors are light-coloured and he can see if there is any dirt. In his home he has control over the music – both the choice of songs and the volume. “He was personally involved in the renovation of his aircraft, requested constant updates, and complained about having to use other people’s private planes while his aircraft had been in the shop for over a year,” the report said.

One person close to Trump reportedly said the ex-president still denies he has been criminally charged.

“It’s almost like he can’t believe it,” the person said, according to the report.

Now Trump is trying to control what he can in a situation where he has fewer rights as a criminal defendant.

“Trump is now trapped in the courthouse for much of the day, trying to exert whatever influence he can, often acting as his own spokesperson between hearings,” the report said. “Privately, he has occasionally complained to his lawyers, suggesting the arguments they should make and sometimes questioning their arguments in court.”

Read the article here.