The first trial of a former US president did not begin with fireworks, angry arguments or theatrics.
It began with a moment of quiet solemnity as 96 potential jurors were sworn in in Manhattan Criminal Court Monday afternoon.
And then half were fired after admitting there was no possible way to stop their strong feelings about Donald Trump from getting in the way of a fair verdict.
Trump, whose norm-shattering tenure gave way to a shattering post-presidency, faced a grim face throughout much of the proceedings.
“You are about to participate in a jury trial. The jury trial system is one of the cornerstones of our justice system,” Judge Juan Merchan told dozens of potential jurors arrayed before him.
Former US President Donald Trump became the first former president to stand trial when a jury was sworn in Monday afternoon in Manhattan Criminal Court.
Trump greeted reporters as he left the courtroom during a break in proceedings
“The name of this case is The People of the State of New York v. Donald Trump.”
As he broadly outlined the basis of the case — that Trump falsified business records to hide payments allegedly made to silence ex-lovers before the 2016 election — some jurors craned their necks to have a view of the blonde figure. in front of them.
Trump stood and turned to look at them as Merchan introduced him and his legal team. The former president offered a tight-lipped smile as he surveyed the New Yorkers who might hold the fate of the 2024 election in their hands.
Merchan read a list of potential witnesses or other names that could come up during the trial, from Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal (two women at the center of the case) to family members such as Melania and Don Jr, in going through Trump’s former lawyers, Rudy Giuliani. and Michael Cohen, and his White House officials such as Reince Priebus.
It will be difficult to find a dozen men and women (plus alternates) who don’t have strong opinions about Trump or the witnesses. Especially in a liberal enclave like Manhattan, where Trump won just 12% of the vote in 2020.
In fact, the judge set himself an easier task: find a dozen people who could put aside their feelings and render a verdict based solely on the evidence they had.
Or maybe not.
When he asked the first group of potential jurors if they couldn’t be impartial in this case, 50 of them immediately raised their hands and were excused.
Trump turned and craned his neck to watch them leave Courtroom 1530, whispering to his lead lawyer Todd Blanche.
Trump with his legal team, from left: Todd Blanche, Emil Bove and Susan Necheles
Trump gave a brief speech to reporters as he arrived for the first day of the hearing.
In the hallway outside Courtroom 1530, one of the departing jurors, a woman in her 30s with short hair, said, “I just couldn’t do it.”
Then it was a matter of choosing the jurors. One by one, they were invited to answer a questionnaire of 42 questions (some with several parts).
Example question: “Have you ever considered yourself a supporter of or belonging to any of the following groups: (the QAnon movement, Proud Boys, Oath Keepers, Three Percenters, Boogaloo Boys, Antifa). »
The first potential jurors revealed how difficult the task would be in Manhattan. One of them had an MBA, two of the first three cited the New York Times as a news source, no one mentioned NewsMax or Fox News.
The third juror, a young woman who likes to go clubbing and who says she gets her news from TikTok and Al Jazeera, was excused after answering in the affirmative to question 34: “Do you have strong opinions or strong beliefs about former President Donald Trump, or the fact that he is currently running for president, which would interfere with your ability to be a fair and impartial juror?
Another was excused because his daughter is about to get married in Seattle.
Reporters follow the proceedings via video link, with split-screen views of the prosecution (bottom left), Team Trump (bottom right) and Judge Juan Merchan at top.
An Upper West Side bookseller shared his thoughts on the justice system and how it should be applied: ‘I don’t think anyone is above the law, whether it’s a former president , a sitting president or a janitor.”
He was followed by a prosecutor from the rarefied Upper East Side.
Each candidate took about six minutes to go through the list. Trump, who refuses to wear his reading glasses in public, looked at a copy of the questions and followed along.
Sometimes he craned his neck to the right to scrutinize the candidates.
It was a slow process. “We’ll be here until Thanksgiving,” said a joker in the overflow room, 1523, where the proceedings were being broadcast by video link. Two weeks is a more realistic estimate.
And potential jurors weren’t even brought into the courtroom until 2:30 p.m.
The day ended without a single juror having made the final list.
The morning had been taken up with complex legal arguments over exactly what evidence they could hear and what they could review.
They will discover extraordinary headlines from the National Enquirer on his 2016 rivals for the Republican nomination, such as Ted Cruz (and the false story that his father was involved in the assassination of JFK) and Marco Rubio (and stories invented that he was a drug addict involved in a sex scandal).
Prosecutors said it was part of a deal between the Trump campaign and the magazine’s owners, American Media Inc.
Anti-Trump protesters gathered Monday morning outside the courthouse.
Trump impersonator speaks with far-right podcast host and Trump ally Laura Loomer
At the heart of the prosecution’s case is a “catch and kill” scheme in which Trump’s allies would buy kiss-and-tell stories and quietly ensure they would never be leaked. published.
The fact is that any revelation could harm his 2016 campaign.
One of those implicated is believed to be former Playboy model Karen McDougal, who claims to have had a year-long affair with Trump, including when his wife Melania was pregnant.
Prosecutor Josh Steinglass said the fact that this happened while Melania was pregnant and after the birth of their son “directly shows the extent to which the defendant believes this story could harm his campaign.”
Todd Blanche, on behalf of the defense, pushed back, saying it included “unproven allegations.” “It’s literally salacious and worthless,” he said.
Judge Merchan said his previous ruling stood, allowing McDougal to testify, but that he would not allow evidence that Trump’s wife was pregnant at the time.
Trump looked impassive as he listened intently. Sometimes he whispered to Blanche or looked at the judge.
He spoke only three times, responding when asked if he understood the so-called “Parker warnings” informing him that he had a right to be in court, but that he could being fired or even imprisoned if he was disruptive.
Each time, he nodded and said “yes,” in a calm voice.
dailymail us
