How Trump, Jack Smith Interacted at the Arraignment

It was a historic moment as former President Trump was arraigned on federal charges related to efforts to overturn the 2020 election in Washington, DC, on Thursday. But was there a "historic glance"? Trump and special counsel Jack Smith—the man behind the charges that could see the former president locked up for the rest of his life—sat just 15 feet apart during the hearing. Unlike in a Miami courtroom, where Trump was arraigned on charges related to his handling of classified documents in June, the pair were visible to each other, with Trump at the defense table and Smith in the courtroom's front row, per the AP and New York Times. Here's how they interacted, according to these outlets and others:

• Time: Entering the courtroom, Trump "seemed to briefly make eye contact with Smith who was seated in the front row of benches and in Trump's line of sight." Then "after the arraignment was over, Trump stood, looked briefly in Jack Smith's direction before walking slowly out."
• Politico: "Smith said nothing audible during his hour in the room, but repeatedly shot glances at Trump, who occasionally shot them back until their eyes briefly met." It was a "historic glance" that lasted only "a fleeting moment" but "crystallized the historic weight of Thursday's arraignment."
• Washington Post: There might have been quite a lot in the glance, as Trump's campaign had just accused Smith of being Biden's "political pawn," responsible for "a dirty, politically motivated investigation." But as the outlet reports, "the two sat about 15 feet apart and did not interact."

• NYT: There was no meeting of eyes, per the New York Times, which reports that as Trump entered the courtroom, he "glanced briefly in Mr. Smith's direction, but he did not seem to make eye contact."
• AP: Trump and Smith "didn't appear to make any obvious eye contact before or during the hearing."
• CNN: According to its sources, Trump and Smith "exchanged several glances as they waited for the hearing to start."
• NBC: As Trump waited for the judge to appear, he "appeared to notice that Jack Smith was sitting there, keeping a very close eye on him, but went to some length to look basically everywhere else in the room rather than at Smith," per NBC News' Garrett Haake.
• RadarOnline: Trump did indeed notice Smith, but there was no attempt to avert his eyes, per this outlet. Indeed, he "proceeded to stare down [Smith]."

(More Donald Trump stories.)