- The first seven out of 12 jurors have been selected in former US Pres. Donald Trump's hush-money trial in Manhattan. Another five jurors are now needed as well as six alternates. Al Jazeera (LR: 2 CP: 1)
- More than half of the jury pool was excused at once, leaving the jury with three women and four men from Manhattan. They include a charter school teacher, a software engineer, a salesman, a corporate lawyer, and an oncology nurse. wsj.com (LR: 3 CP: 5)
- While Trump reportedly faces an uphill battle in deeply Democratic New York City, one selected juror, a woman from Harlem, said she appreciates how he "speaks his mind." Others, however, were dismissed by the defense for their anti-Trump social media posts. New York Times (LR: 2 CP: 5)
- When asked about his opinions on Trump, another prospective juror conceded that he's "a Democrat," but added, "I walk in here and he's a defendant." The woman who said she likes his brashness also noted that she doesn't "care for the views" of Trump. Guardian (LR: 2 CP: 5)
- Trump was also heard speaking at the hearing, to which Judge Juan Merchan said, "I won't tolerate that…I won't have any jurors intimidated in this courtroom." This follows Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's request that Trump be held in contempt of court. FOX News (LR: 4 CP: 4)
- Following Tuesday's hearing, Trump visited an Upper Manhattan Bodega — the site of a 2022 attack on a store employee. While there, he promised to "straighten out New York" by working with the Democratic mayor and governor. FOX News (LR: 4 CP: 4)
Anti-Trump narrative:
- While Trump complains that he can't possibly get a fair trial in a city that voted overwhelmingly against him, the history of well-instructed jurors proves otherwise. Every juror chosen will have undergone a lengthy selection process full of questionnaires and one-on-one consultations with the judge and lawyers. The only unexpected trouble Trump could face is anything he brings upon himself by impulsively speaking in violation of court rules.
NEW YORK TIMES (LR: 2 CP: 5)
Pro-Trump narrative:
- Not only has District Attorney Alvin Bragg turned a normal campaign finance violation into a bogus felony charge, but the judge, in this case, has allowed clearly compromised people onto the jury. For instance, one woman Judge Merchan allowed on the jury allegedly attended an anti-Trump event in 2020. Revealing the occupations of these jurors was also a bad decision by the court — if their identities are uncovered it could compromise their decisions in this blue city trial.
TOWNHALL (LR: 5 CP: 3)
Nerd narrative:
- There's a 75% chance that Donald Trump will be found guilty of any crime in the Manhattan case before Election Day 2024, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
METACULUS (LR: 3 CP: 3)