Jury selection consumed the third day of former President Trump’s hush money trial on Thursday.
All 12 jurors were seated for Trump’s hush money trial after two were dismissed earlier in the day, in part over fears of being exposed through media coverage.
Dozens of jurors were almost immediately excused after admitting they could not be fair or impartial during the politically divisive trial. Each side, the defense and prosecution, only has about a handful of strikes left.
Follow below for a recap from New York.
Trump speaks as he leaves for the day
Trump briefly spoke to reporters outside the courtroom as he departed for the day.
“I’m supposed to be in New Hampshire. I’m supposed to be in Georgia. I’m supposed to be in North Carolina and South Carolina,” Trump said. “I’m supposed to be a hundred different places campaigning. But I’m here all day on a trial that really is a very unfair trial.”
The former president complained that he had to sit in a “freezing” room for hours.
“The whole world is watching this hoax,” he added, bemoaning “we have no justice and have a press that doesn’t want to cover the facts.”
— Brett Samuels
Court adjourns
Court adjourned for the day around 5 p.m.
Prosecutors refuse to hand over first witness names
Prosecutors refused Trump attorney Todd Blanche’s request to provide the names of the first three witnesses they intend to call at trial, citing Trump’s recent Truth Social posts about witnesses.
Assistant District Attorney Joshua Steinglass said they normally would’ve provided the names as a courtesy but won’t because of Trump’s posts.
Blanche then asked the judge to order the names be provided, saying he could assure the court Trump won’t make those posts moving forward.
“I don’t think you can make that representation,” Judge Juan Merchan quipped back, denying the request.
— Zach Schonfeld
‘We have our jury’
An additional six New Yorkers have been selected to serve on Trump’s jury, bringing the total number to 12 primary jurors and one alternate.
“We have our jury,” Judge Juan Merchan said when the 12th juror was picked.
One primary juror is originally from Lebanon and retired.
Another lives on the Upper East Side and said while she does “have opinions,” she does “firmly believe I can be fair and impartial.”
A third was born in Ohio and works in e-commerce. The fourth is from California and just watches “late night news.” And the fifth is a physical therapist who listens to podcasts related to sports and faith.
The first of six alternate jurors was also selected. She is a woman who grew up in England and Hong Kong.
There are five alternates left to select.
— Ella Lee
All 12 jurors have been seated
Twelve jurors have been selected for Trump’s hush money trial, rounding out the third day in Manhattan court.
One alternate was also selected.
Juror apologizes to Trump over social media posts
Defense attorneys challenged a prospective juror over her social media posts about Trump, describing them as “vitriol.”
One post from the woman, who is from Long Island but has lived in Manhattan for about 30 years, read, “the election of a racist, sexist, narcissist.”
“She harbors a deep hatred for him,” Trump attorney Susan Necheles said.
The woman previously said she will be “unbiased” against Trump if selected for the jury. Prosecutors claimed the prospective juror’s posts were “old.”
When questioned again, the prospective juror said she was in a “disturbed frame of mind during that election cycle.”
“I was very concerned,” she said. “I do not hold those positions today.”
She later apologized to Trump who was sitting in the courtroom and was later excused.
— Ella Lee
Two more jurors selected
Two more jurors have been selected, bringing the total back to seven.
The first person is a married man who works in investment banking and follows an account that reposts Trump’s Truth Social posts on social platform X.
He also follows Michael Cohen’s X posts. The other person selected is originally from California and is a security engineer. They are married with three kids.
— Zach Schonfeld
Defense attorneys say prospective juror reviewed Maggie Haberman book
Susan Necheles said that the husband of a prospective juror in Trump’s case wrote a review of New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman’s book about the former president, “Confidence Man: The Making of Donald Trump and the Breaking of America.”
The potential juror said she previously stayed at Necheles’s house after meeting her through the husband, who is also a lawyer. Necheles said she knows the prospective juror’s husband “very well.”
Judge Juan Merchan denied the defense’s challenge for cause, meaning the prospective juror stays in the pool for now.
— Ella Lee
Possible juror expresses awe at Trump
A potential juror said he admired Trump’s rise as a businessman and politician, spotting parallels between his own life and the former president’s.
“He was our president. Pretty amazing. He was a businessman in New York. He forged his way. He kind of made history. … I’m impressed with that,” the prospective juror said.
— Ella Lee
Trump fidgets in chair as prospective juror criticizes him
The former president fidgeted in his chair as one prospective juror criticized him when asked their opinions about Trump.
“He’s very selfish and self-serving,” the person said as Trump moved from side to side.
— Zach Schonfeld
Prospective jurors assess opinions of Trump
When asked whether she holds strong opinions about Trump, a prospective juror sighed loudly and said, “I have got opinions.”
The woman said she was “born and raised” in New York and has spent her “whole life knowing about Donald Trump.” She even once saw him and Marla Maples, Trump’s second wife, shopping for “baby stuff.”
The prospective juror noted that she had heard positive things about Trump, but “how I feel about him as a president is different.”
When questioned about Trump, another prospective juror indicated they have strong feelings about his policies but no opinion of him personally.
They said that when it gets “petty … I’m allergic to that.”
— Ella Lee
Trump attorney asks potential juror specifically about Michael Cohen
Susan Necheles asked a potential juror who said they follow Michael Cohen whether they can put aside any opinions about him.
“Would you be able to stop following Cohen and just listen? Put aside your opinions about him?” she said.
“Yes,” the prospective juror replied.
— Ella Lee
Trump attorney asks prospective jurors about ‘lying’ witnesses
Trump attorney Susan Necheles asked prospective jurors whether they could understand that some of the Manhattan district attorney’s office witnesses “may be lying.”
She suggested that some witnesses have “personal animus” against the former president, whom she referred to as “President Trump.”
“Anyone have a problem holding the people to their burden?” she asked.
— Ella Lee
Prosecutors seeking jurors with ‘common sense’
Prosecutors with the Manhattan district attorney’s office said the “No. 1 quality” they’re looking for in jurors is “common sense.”
Joshua Steinglass gave the analogy of a juror’s daughter pulling a chair up to the fridge, atop which was a cookie jar. The daughter has a chocolate mustache.
“What happened? Work with me,” he said.
A juror quipped back: “Depends, I don’t know — it’s possible she took it.”
— Ella Lee
Potential juror knows Trump lawyer
One of the possible jurors in Trump’s hush money case previously met one of the former president’s defense lawyers, Susan Necheles.
The prospective juror said she met Necheles one time 15 years ago through her husband but did not think their encounter raised any “concerns” about her ability to be impartial.
— Ella Lee
Prospective juror worries she ‘knows too much’
A prospective juror raised concerns Thursday she “knows too much” after discussing Trump’s case with a federal judge and law clerks at her job.
“I’m worried that it’s going to seep in in some way,” she said.
The woman said earlier that she had read a book by an ex-prosecutor on the case who had criticized the Manhattan district attorney’s handling of the case. She also said she went to the Women’s March.
– Ella Lee
Proceedings resume
The judge has retaken the bench, and the trial has resumed
— Zach Schonfeld
Court breaks for lunch
Jury selection is on pause for a lunch break. It’s expected to resume at 2:15 p.m.
— Ella Lee
Prospective juror cites Berlusconi before being excused
A man who grew up in Italy was excused after indicating the Italian media had “really strong associations” with Trump and Silvio Berlusconi, the former Italian prime minister and media tycoon.
“It would be a little hard for me to retain my impartiality and fairness,” the man said before being excused.
— Zach Schonfeld
Prospective juror’s father ‘raised with’ late Dem Senate Majority Leader
A potential juror in Trump’s criminal trial said his father was “raised with” the late Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), who died in 2021.
The New Yorker said his parents were “lifelong friends” with Reid, who began representing Nevada in 1987.
However, the prospective juror also said he has no strong opinions about Trump and answered he “definitely” would not hold him responsible for not testifying.
— Ella Lee
Multiple lawyers among new batch of prospective jurors
Multiple lawyers are among those being screened in the current group of prospective jurors.
Of the five jurors already selected, two are lawyers, which has drawn some questions.
— Zach Schonfeld
Second selected juror excused
A second juror has been excused after prosecutors found evidence the juror may have lied in response to the questionnaire.
Though Judge Juan Merchan did not indicate what the juror expressed during a sidebar with the judge and parties, the juror apparently expressed annoyance at information publicized about him.
Prosecutors previously found an article describing a person of the same name being arrested in the 1990s, and evidence the juror’s wife was previously involved in a corruption inquiry. All jurors were asked if they or someone close to them was ever accused or convicted of a crime.
That brings the number of selected jurors down to five. A total of 12 primary jurors and six alternates are needed to move into the next phase of the trial.
— Ella Lee
Selected juror re-questioned
An already-selected juror was questioned again by Trump’s lawyers and prosecutors after the Manhattan district attorney’s office said it found evidence the juror may have lied in response to the questionnaire.
Prosecutors found an article describing a person of the same name being arrested in the 1990s, and evidence the juror’s wife was previously involved in a corruption inquiry. All jurors were asked whether they or someone close to them has ever been accused or convicted of a crime.
The juror was interviewed at the judge’s bench, with most questions appearing to come from the prosecution side, according to a pool report. His first few answers drew some laughter from Todd Blanche, Trump’s lawyer.
Judge Juan Merchan maintained a blank expression throughout the questioning, and when it ended, appeared to sternly address the juror. The judge said he’d give attorneys a few minutes to discuss the matter and left the bench.
— Ella Lee
Prospective juror: ‘I still have a flip phone’
“I still have a flip phone,” one prospective juror noted as he indicated he doesn’t listen to any podcasts.
He also made clear he “only” gets his news from the New York Daily News and the New York Post.
Among the prospective jurors’ questions is where they consume the majority of their news.
— Zach Schonfeld
Trump attentive during juror questioning
Trump appears engrossed as prospective jurors read off their answers to the 42-question survey helping the former president’s lawyers and Manhattan prosecutors pick who will sit on his jury.
The former president is leaning back in his chair, craning his neck to get a peek at the New Yorkers as they speak.
— Ella Lee
Prospective juror says they read start of Michael Cohen’s book
The fourth prospective juror questioned Wednesday indicated they read the first portion of “Disloyal: A Memoir: The True Story of the Former Personal Attorney to President Donald J. Trump,” which Michael Cohen published in 2020.
Cohen, Trump’s ex-fixer, made the hush money payment at the center of the case and is expected to be a star witness for prosecutors.
“I read the first 10 pages or so of ‘Disloyal’ for business reasons,” said the prospective juror, who works in the publishing industry.
— Zach Schonfeld
Prospective juror reads Trump Truth Social posts, Michael Cohen’s X posts
A prospective juror in Trump’s hush money case said he follows an account on the social media platform X that reposts Trump’s Truth Social posts. The New Yorker also follows Trump himself on X, but the former president has not posted there since August.
The potential juror also said he follows posts on X from Michael Cohen, Trump’s ex-fixer who is expected to be a key witness in the trial. Cohen made the hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels at the crux of the case.
— Ella Lee
Prospective juror says she read ex-prosecutor’s book about case
A prospective juror who works in the legal field said she’s very familiar with Trump’s hush money case, including reading a book written by an ex-prosecutor on the case that criticized Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s (D) handling of the prosecution.
“I’ve discussed the legal merits of this case with many co-workers,” she said.
The woman also indicated she went to the Women’s March.
— Zach Schonfeld
48 potential jurors say they can’t be fair and impartial
Forty-eight prospective jurors were excused Thursday after indicating that they could not be fair and impartial to Trump.
An additional nine jurors were dismissed for other reasons, not explained, that they cannot serve.
That brings the second batch of 96 could-be jurors down to 39 New Yorkers who will be questioned by Trump’s lawyers and Manhattan prosecutors.
To move into the next stage of the trial, 12 primary jurors and six alternates must be selected. Six have been chosen so far, after a previously selected juror was dismissed this morning for asserting she was no longer sure she could be impartial.
— Ella Lee
Selected juror’s answer on questionnaire scrutinized
A New Yorker already selected to serve on Trump’s jury was called into question after prosecutors discovered new information.
Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass said the state found an article where a person of the same name had been arrested in the 1990s. In addition, it appeared that the juror’s wife was previously involved in a corruption inquiry.
Steinglass questioned whether the juror could have lied in response to a question regarding whether the juror, a relative or close friend has ever been accused or convicted of committing a crime.
Trump attorney Todd Blanche agreed for the “need to inquire,” but said the defense did not want to dismiss the juror without hearing from them.
— Ella Lee